Google Introduces New Sustainability Options for Search and Maps

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Google comes with various sustainability options in the search apps and in Maps, among other things. For example, users can find CO2-friendly flights and plan fuel-efficient car routes. Americans can also regulate their heating differently with their Nest.

Google announces in a blog post that it will gradually introduce a number of new sustainability initiatives on its services. When a user books a flight via Google Flights in the search engine, for example, the travel information now shows what the emissions of the flight will be. This also makes it possible to sort by flights that will emit the least.

When a user books a hotel, information about the hotels ‘sustainability efforts’ appears. For example, it will be stated whether the hotel is making efforts to reduce waste and water conservation and whether it has an EarthCheck or Green Key certificate. Finally, Google’s shopping feature will also get some sustainability options. When users search for products that consume a lot of energy, such as a stove or dishwasher, the most sustainable options automatically come first, Google says.

New emissions information on Google Flights

Google is also working on an option for Google Maps to sort car routes by economy, even if it’s not the fastest route. With this, Google claims to potentially save a million tons of carbon emissions, in addition to the fuel it saves users. This feature was announced in March, but is currently being tested in the United States and should be available in Europe from 2022.

In the United States, Google is also introducing a new sustainability service with the Google Nest thermostat called Nest Renew. This adds a new feature called Energy Shift that would allow the Nest to automatically shift the electricity used for heating and cooling to times when the energy is cleaner or cheaper. It is not yet clear whether this feature will also be available outside the United States.

Google hopes to have “helped a billion people make more sustainable choices by 2022” with the new sustainability initiatives. Google itself promises that its data centers and campuses will run on 100 percent CO2-free energy by 2030.

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