Are You Flying? How Much CO2 is your Flight emitting?

Carbon calculator: find out how much CO2 your plane will emit The carbon calculator works out emissions from flights from the world's 100 busiest airports as well as chosen UK airports One of the fastest-growing polluters in the aviation industry. It presently accounts for about 2 percent of worldwide emissions, but according to studies from Manchester Metropolitan University, this figure could more than double by 2050–or triple if aircraft do not become significantly more fuel-efficient. New airports are continuing to open, adding fresh paths to the schedules of airlines. 2019 will be another record-breaking year for air travel, with travelers anticipated to fly a total of 8.1 tons of kilometers, up 5 percent from last year, according to forecasts.

What can you do as a person?

Avoid flying and, wherever possible, opt for alternative methods. If you fly, you can use this calculator, developed by German non-profit Atmosfair, to determine the CO2 emissions produced by your flight.

Make your flight count –travel with an ethical vacation business and look for vacations that create a positive difference to your destination.

How your flight emits as much CO2 as many people in a year

Even short-haul flights produce large amounts of CO2, figures show

Taking a long-distance flight generates more carbon emissions than an average person produces in dozens of countries around the world in an entire year, according to a new Guardian analysis.

The figures highlight the disproportionate carbon footprint of those who can afford to fly, even with a short-distance return flight from London to Edinburgh that contributes more CO2 than the average annual emissions of a person in Uganda or Somalia.

2019 is forecast to be another record year for air travel, and passengers are expected to fly a total of 8.1tn km, 5% more than last year and more than 300% since 1990.

Taking a return flight generates more CO2 than the citizens of some countries produce in a year

London-Rome

234 kg of CO2

the average citize emits less CO2 in a year

London - New York

986 kg CO2 London - Los Angeles

1,650 kg CO2

London-Perth

3,153 kg CO2

How was your next trip?

According to figures from the German non-profit organization Atmosfair, flying from London to New York and vice versa generates about 986 kg of CO2 per passenger. There are 56 countries where the average person emits less carbon dioxide in a whole year, from Burundi in Africa to Paraguay in South America.

But even a relatively short return trip from London to Rome has a carbon footprint of 234 kg of CO2 per passenger, more than the average produced annually by citizens of 17 countries.

The figures are averages that take into account which aircraft models are typically used on flight routes and the estimated occupancy of seats onboard those aircraft. The figures include only the CO2 generated by burning aircraft fuel, not the emissions embedded in the construction of the aircraft or any other greenhouse gas that may be produced, such as water vapor.

Aviation emissions could triple in the next three decades

The aviation sector currently accounts for about 2% of global emissions and is one of the fastest-growing polluters.

According to the projections of researchers at the Metropolitan University of Manchester, emissions from the sector could more than double by 2050, even if airplanes become substantially more fuel-efficient and airlines save more carbon by optimizing their operations.

Under a less optimistic scenario, a lower level of fuel economy could lead to triple emissions by 2050.

"The increase in traffic has historically exceeded improvements in technology," says Dr. John Broderick, who investigates climate policy and international transportation at the University of Manchester.

How can the climate impact of the aviation industry be regulated?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body responsible for limiting the carbon footprint of international air travel, is introducing a scheme to offset emissions by allowing airlines to buy carbon credits instead of burning fewer fossil fuels.

Broderick is skeptical about the benefits of the scheme. "It still has a plan to increase the size of the industry ... at a time when we should be making substantial emissions reductions, particularly from the rich parts of the world."

When asked for a comment for this story, ICAO described it as "a meaningless selection of unrelated data points."

In 2019, almost 40 million flights are expected to leave airports worldwide, more than 10 In 2019, an average of more than 100,000 flights depart from airports daily. This map shows a particularly busy day in May, with 162,637 recorded departures

Tim Alderslade, executive director of Airlines UK, the industry association representing 13 UK airlines, said: "The airlines believe we need a strategy that meets the government's ambition to promote sustainable growth for our sector. Aviation has to make 10,000 trips per day.