The climate editor is Justin Rowlatt.

Person holds a phone with the Google flights app above the google signImage source, Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/Getty Images

The way in which your flights are calculated has changed.

It appears that your flights have less impact on the environment than they used to.

A key driver of global warming has been removed from the online carbon flight calculator.

A lot of the climate impacts of the aviation industry have been removed from the pages of the internet giant.

Nine out of every 10 online searches are hosted by the same company.

The company said it consulted with its industry partners.

The carbon calculator in the search tool is affected by this.

If you've ever tried to find a flight on the internet, you'll know that it's possible to find it on the search engine.

It shows up at the top of search results and allows you to find flights and fares on the internet.

The emissions generated by your journey can be calculated.

The feature is designed to help you make more sustainable travel choices, according to the search engine.

In July, the global warming impacts of flying were excluded by the search engine.

According to some experts, the real impact on the climate of flights has been underestimated.

Professor David Lee is the author of the most comprehensive scientific assessment of the contribution of air travel to global warming.

The climate is affected by a number of things, including the CO2 produced by burning aviation fuel.

The creation of long thin clouds high up in the atmosphere leads to a net warming effect on our planet.

Contrails crossing over in the sky and airplane visibleImage source, Reuters
Image caption, Contrails are produced by some planes when hydrogen in its fuel reacts with oxygen in the air

Aviation is only responsible for 2% of global CO2 emissions, but the sector is responsible for 3.5% of the warming caused by humans.

It is going to get bigger.

The industry is expected to grow by 4% every year for the next two decades according to the International Energy Agency.

Non-CO2 effects of aviation should be included in the calculations, according to the company.

They are acknowledged to be a significant additional impact of flying.

The company's priority is the accuracy of the individual flight estimates, according to the company.

It is working with academics to understand how warming affects flights.

The UK government isn't following the same path.

The CO2 emissions a flight produces by a factor of 1.9 is double the impact.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy warns that the value of this multiplier is subject to significant uncertainty, but says there is no better way of taking these effects into account.

Transport and Environment supports the campaign to reduce the environmental impact of travel.

Two thirds of the total climate impact of aviation is due to non-CO2 effects, according to current scientific knowledge.

This problem has been hidden by the industry for a long time. The European Parliament has proposed that the non-CO2 effects be shown on flights.

Changes made by the internet giant are likely to have far-reaching effects.

The company's carbon calculation methodology is used in aviation.

One of the biggest online travel agencies in the world with more than 100 million visitors a month uses it.

A number of online travel businesses, including Booking.com, are planning to use it as well.

The company wants to build tools that enable travellers and business around the world to prioritize sustainable practices.

The decision to change its methodology will have a negative effect on the industry.

The founder of a company that helps businesses reduce the effect their travel has on the climate fears that the impact of hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 will be ignored.

He is worried that consumers will think non-CO2 impacts on the climate are irrelevant in the long-term.

Up to 1.5% of the warming caused by human activity would be ignored and the pressure on airlines to reduce their emissions would be reduced.

  • Greenhouse gas emissions
  • Google
  • Climate change
  • Air travel