CO₂ Emissions Calculator

Estimate the carbon footprint of a journey from its distance and how you travel. Compare driving, flying, rail and bus for the same trip and see the CO₂ each one produces.

How the Estimate Works

The calculator multiplies your distance by an emission factor for the transport mode — the average grams of CO₂-equivalent released per passenger-kilometer:

Emissions = Distance × Factor per km × Trips

Factors are typical published averages. Real figures vary with the specific vehicle, how full it is, and how the electricity for trains and EVs is generated.

Why Mode Matters So Much

For the same journey, a train can emit a tenth or less of what a solo car trip does, and carpooling roughly quarters a car’s per-person figure by sharing it. Short domestic flights are among the most carbon-intensive ways to travel per kilometer. The “tree-years” figure is a rough offset guide — a mature tree absorbs about 21 kg of CO₂ a year.

Measure the Real Distance

Emissions scale directly with distance, so start with an accurate one. Measure a driving or flight route with the distance calculator, or the straight-line flight distance with the distance between coordinates tool. Compare the fuel cost of the driving option with the fuel cost calculator.

Get Distance Measure

Download Distance Measure for iOS and start measuring in seconds.