Keep track of your carbon footprint online

London, UK (October 31, 2007) – Google launches the UK Carbon Footprint Project to help people calculate, track and compare their carbon emissions.

Are you keen to reduce your carbon footprint but you’re not sure how? Do you want to see how your individual actions can make a difference to climate change?

Google aims to help people find information they want as quickly as possible. From today, people will be able to find out what their own carbon footprint is, how they can reduce it and compare theirs to other parts of the country.

Project details:

• www.google.co.uk/carbonfootprint
• Use the Google Carbon Calculator* to calculate your personal carbon footprint, choose carbon-reducing steps from a personalised action plan and compare your actions to those of others around the UK by putting yourself on the Google UK Carbon Footprint Map.
• Keep track of your progress easily with a Carbon Footprint tab (or section) on your personalised iGoogle homepage. Simply tick off your carbon-reducing actions as you take them to automatically update your carbon footprint on the UK Carbon Footprint Map.
• In addition to the carbon calculator and personal action plan, the Carbon Footprint tab offers those interested in climate change a selection of constantly updated ‘gadgets’ (sections) to help them find information on the subject and keep up to date with the project. These include the Google UK Carbon Footprint Map, a custom carbon footprint news feed and user generated video content from BSkyB.
• From today a unique iGoogle Carbon Footprint home page design or ‘skin’ will be available.
• Use the map to see how individual actions add up to make a difference. The constantly updated project statistics show how many people are taking part and the total carbon saved. To show the real impact of what is achieved, the carbon saving is compared to carbon emissions of places across the country, effectively “wiping out” the carbon emissions of towns and cities as progress is made.
• Join the Carbon Footprint Discussion Group to offer tips or receive practical advice from others around the UK on reducing your carbon footprint, and receive the latest posts to your homepage.
• Find resources and facts about the UK’s carbon emissions and climate change on the Google UK Carbon Footprint Map. Information layers on the map show details such as predicted future weather under different carbon emission scenarios, recycling rates of local councils, heat map images of famous buildings and where your nearest renewable energy sources are.

Google worked with a number of organisations, companies and the government to create the layers for the UK Carbon Footprint Map and the personalised iGoogle homepage.

Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist, Google:
“We want to help people find the information they are looking for as quickly as possible and that’s why we have launched this project. People in the UK can find out their carbon footprint and what they can do to reduce it, it’s also a great online resource for sharing ideas. So whether people around the UK choose to start with small steps or giant leaps it will now be easier for all of us in UK to see how through collective efforts we can make a real difference in reducing our carbon footprint.”

Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary:
“I am delighted that Google is using our data and calculations for its carbon calculator which forms part of its new web project. The project is interactive and, I trust, will encourage people to find ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint. We have decided to openly share our calculator data with organisations ranging from local authorities and charities to big businesses, to ensure that even more people have the chance to calculate their carbon footprint using the most up to date data and calculations -- and because it’s so vital that we all work together in the fight against climate change.”

Matt Prescott, Project Director, CarbonLimited RSA:
“There is a great deal of confusion about carbon footprints and their contribution to climate change. RSA CarbonLimited is a project about giving people choice and making those choices clearer, leading to a greater sense of ‘group effort’ in tackling the problem. We were therefore excited to work with Google on the UK Carbon Footprint Project which we believe is a great starting point for people to get involved and explore their climate impacts further. This could be the start of a snowball effect that sees carbon footprinting enter the mainstream.”

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust:
“The Energy Saving Trust was happy to provide independent and authoritative expertise in the development of Google’s carbon calculator. The calculator is an excellent tool which enables people to find out their impact on the environment and gives them practical steps to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions using the Energy Saving Trust’s years of experience in advising consumers. One of our main objectives was to help create a user friendly tool that would be both scientifically robust but at the same time practical to use and fun too. I think we achieved that.”

*The Google Carbon Calculator has been built in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust and RSA, using data from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It uses the AMEE engine, and draws on the UK Government’s Act on CO² calculator for its data, calculations and approved methodologies.

About Google Inc.

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About our partners:

Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation, funded both by government and the private sector, and is one of the UK’s leading organisations addressing the damaging effects of climate change. Its aim is to cut emissions of carbon dioxide (CO²) by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy in the domestic sector.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Act on CO²
Act on CO² is a UK Government campaign that offers help and advice for consumers to help them reduce their CO² emissions.
www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
The RSA is a progressive, wholly independent body, working to remove barriers to social progress. Through a programme of projects, events and lectures, it drives ideas and innovation, supported by an international network of 26,000 Fellows.
www.theRSA.org

Defra
The UK Government Department for the Environment Food & Rural Affairs
www.defra.gov.uk

BSkyB
In 2006 BSkyB became the world’s first carbon neutral media company, and the company has a range of activities and commitments around environmental sustainability
www.sky.com/environment

British Gas
British Gas has created an industry leading website that is full of interesting facts plus ways that you and your community could save energy.
www.pledgetodaysavetomorrow.co.uk

For further information and photos contact: Laura Scott on 0207 031 3130 or email press-uk@google.com

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Labels: English (UK), UK news announcements