Google to help users fight climate change with smarter features

Tech giant Google introduced a slew of new features on Wednesday which the company claims will help users make informed decisions to reduce emissions and battle climate change. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the goal of the changes was to make the "sustainable choices" the easier choice for the community.

Changes include additions to Google Maps that will allow users to select the most energy-efficient routes. The feature is expected to be released in Europe in 2022 and Google hopes it will result in emission reductions equivalent to taking over 200,000 cars off the road Pichai told journalists.

Flight booking will now receive a "green badge" to signify which ones are lower in carbon emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions by class will also be displayed. In addition to this, Google will be looking at raising awareness for eco-friendly hotels and promoting environmentally-friendly appliances when users shop online.

The company is among the top global firms which have pledged to reduce their own carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly to combat climate change. In September, the company had also revealed their plans to create an overlay for Google Mas that would allow users to track, monitor and report wildfires and another feature "Tree Canopy" which would help urban centres plant more trees by identifying spots of extreme heat.