World - Software to track carbon footprint of air travellers

new software ‘Travelport Carbon Tracker’, launched by leading automated aviation ticket reservation systems company Galileo GDS, will tell “your contribution” to carbon emission when you take a particular flight.
The software will also suggest to the passenger that he could select a particular flight instead of his chosen one to reduce carbon emission.
“It will help in discovering routes, travellers, departments and modes of travel that contribute to total emission. This will allow corporates and individuals to decide the flight that emits less carbon per passenger,” President and CEO of Galileo GDS, Bruce Hanna, said.
There are a number of flights that have high load factor during a certain time in the day. This software can compare the amount of carbon emitted during a flight from one destination to another, he added.
At present, air travel contributes about 2 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions. But its contribution, in release of Green House Gas (GHG) is set to increase as 33 per cent of travellers prefer to travel by air.
About 28 per cent of air travel is by corporate people for business purpose and it forms about 8-10 per cent of the corporate budget, Hanna said.
Through proper travel planning, Hanna said, the corporates could accumulate carbon credits and get benefits of carbon trading scheme.
The Carbon Tracker would be helpful for large travel agencies and corporates who acknowledge the concern over global warming and are ready to invest for a good cause, Hanna said.
According to International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) method of calculation, a Delhi-Mumbai flight operating on A320 or Boeing 747 aircraft with a seating capacity of 176, covers the distance of 1,139 km with 4,876 kg of precious Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
The amount of carbon dioxide emitted per passenger comes to about 122.63 kg in economy class in this flight.
Similarly, carbon emission per passenger on Delhi-Kolkata sector is about 140.43 kg, while on Delhi-Chennai route, it is 165.38 kg.
Every passenger on the Delhi-Srinagar sector, a distance of 641 km, leaves 93.34 kg of carbon footprint.
On a Delhi-London and Delhi-New York flight, about 931 kg and 875 kg of carbon dioxide is emitted.
Indian travel industry involves about 8 million outbound passengers, 43 million domestic travellers and about 365 million reserved train passengers.
Over 5,000 travel agencies are generating a revenue of about $6.6 billion with ticket booking and ventures.
“The software will be presently available with the travel agents, who by paying some charges can use it for the benefit of their customers,” Hanna said.
The software will also inform the passenger through an e-mail about the amount of carbon produced during the particular trip and also the flight options that could have emitted less carbon dioxide, he added.