How much CO2 does your flight produce?
Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, but its total climate impact is roughly double that due to non-CO2 effects: contrails, nitrogen oxides, and water vapor at altitude create a radiative forcing multiplier of approximately 1.9×. A round-trip economy flight from New York to London (~11,000 km) produces about 1.0 tonnes of CO2 — equivalent to 21% of the average global annual footprint of 4.7 tonnes. Business class seats emit 2.9× more per passenger due to the larger space they occupy. Short-haul flights (<1500 km) are the most carbon-intensive per km because takeoff and landing consume disproportionate fuel. Only 2-4% of the world's population flies in any given year, yet aviation's emissions are growing 3-4% annually. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can reduce lifecycle emissions by 80% but currently represents less than 0.1% of jet fuel supply.