Empowering individuals
We’re building products to give you the information you need to make the more sustainable choice, the easier choice.
Your everyday
Back in 2020, we announced our goal to help one billion people make more sustainable choices through our products by 2022. We’re pleased to share that we reached that goal in 2022 through offering sustainability features like fuel-efficient routing in Google Maps, energy efficiency features in Google Nest thermostats, and carbon emissions information in Google Flights.1
Product features
Google MapsFuel-efficient routing
Related resources
New ways we’re helping reduce transportation and energy emissions
You can drive drive more sustainably and save money with Google Maps
Did you know?
Since launching in October 2021, we estimate fuel-efficient routing has helped prevent more than 2.4 million metric tons of CO2e emissions — the equivalent of taking approximately 500,000 fuel-based cars off the road for a year.1
Global searches for how to save fuel when driving increased by 60% from 2022-2023.
1 Google uses an AI prediction model to estimate the expected fuel or energy consumption for each route option when users request driving directions. We identify the route that we predict will consume the least amount of fuel or energy. If this route is not already the fastest one and it offers meaningful energy and fuel savings with only a small increase in driving time, we recommend it to the user. To calculate enabled emissions reductions, we tally the fuel usage from the chosen fuel-efficient routes and subtract it from the predicted fuel consumption that would have occurred on the fastest route without fuel-efficient routing and apply adjustments for factors such as: CO2e factors, fleet factors, well-to-wheels factors, and powertrain mismatch factors. We then input the estimated prevented emissions into the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator to calculate equivalent cars off the road for a year. The cumulative figure covers estimated emissions prevented after fuel-efficient routing was launched, from October 2021 through September 2023. Enabled emissions reductions estimates include inherent uncertainty due to factors that include the lack of primary data and precise information about real-world actions and their effects. These factors contribute to a range of possible outcomes, within which we report a central value.
Product features
Google MapsLow emission zone alerts
Related resources
Redefining what a map can be with new information and AI
Did you know?
Low emission zone alerts are available in 18 cities, with more coming soon.
Product features
Google MapsBike and scooter sharing
Related resources
New ways Maps is getting more immersive and sustainable
3 new ways to navigate more sustainably with Maps
Did you know?
Global searches for e-bikes have doubled over the past 3 years.
Product features
Google MapsMass transit options
Related resources
You can drive more sustainably and save money with Google Maps
New ways we’re helping reduce transportation and energy emissions
Did you know?
Google Maps provides, on average, more than 2 billion kilometers’ (1.2 billion miles) of public transit results per day. By tapping on the Google Maps transit icon, individuals can get directions to their destination by bus, train, subway and even ferry.
Product features
Google MapsEV Charging
Related resources
Charge it Up: New Maps features for electric vehicles
Electric vehicle charging stations are now on the Waze map
Did you know?
Global searches for electric vehicles have nearly doubled over the past two years.
Product features
Google MapsGlanceable directions
Related resources
3 new ways to navigate more sustainably with Maps
New ways Maps is getting more immersive and sustainable
Did you know?
If we all walk or bike for half of our trips of under a mile, we would save 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. That’s like taking 400,000 cars off the road in the US each year, according to the EPA.
Product features
TravelClimate-friendlier options for your stay
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Building a sustainable future for travel
Did you know?
Sustainable accommodations reduce their environmental impact by using less energy and water, cutting down their waste, or sourcing their supplies in climate-friendly ways.
Product features
Google ShoppingShop for more efficient appliances
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Giving you more sustainable choices with Google
New ways we’re helping reduce transportation and energy emissions
Did you know?
Compared to a furnace, a heat pump can lower your electricity use for heating by about 50%.
An energy star certified dryer uses 20% less energy than standard models.
Product features
Google ShoppingShop pre-owned apparel on Google
Related Resources
7 ways we're helping to reduce plastic pollution
New ways to make more sustainable choices
Did you know?
Clothing is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, so clothing choices have a big impact on reducing both waste and emissions.
Global searches for thrifting nearly tripled over the past 3 years, reaching an 18-year high in 2022.
Product features
Google SearchUnderstand your car-buying choices
New ways we’re helping reduce transportation and energy emissions
Did you know?
Sustainable accommodations reduce their environmental impact by using less energy and water, cutting down their waste, or sourcing their supplies in climate-friendly ways.
We can significantly reduce pollution by switching to EVs. Transportation accounts for one-fifth of global carbon emissions, and almost half of these come from gas-powered passenger vehicles.
Product features
Google SearchExtreme heat alerts
Related resources
How we’re helping people and cities adapt to extreme heat
It’s a hot one: how heat waves have trended over time
Did you know?
Every year, extreme heat kills nearly 500,000 people, and heat-related deaths are on the rise.
In July 2022, search interest in heat waves reached a record high globally.
Product features
Google SearchFind nearby recycling points
Related resources
The power of recycling: Turning searches into store visits
How Lucy & Yak and Duracell are helping U.K. shoppers make more sustainable choices
Did you know?
Recycling is one of the most popular and consistently searched sustainability-related topics according to Trends.
In 2021, 82% of consumers said that sustainability was more top of mind than it was before COVID-19.
Product features
TravelMore sustainable choices when you travel
Related resources
How AI is helping airlines mitigate the climate impact of contrails
Did you know?
71% of surveyed travelers want to make more sustainable choices, according to a 2022 Booking.com survey.
Consider replacing shorter flights with a train or bus ride. Over a similar distance, trains and buses produce less emissions than planes because they burn less fuel.
Product features
Google NestSupport a clean energy future with Nest Renew
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Support a clean energy future with Nest Renew
Shift toward clean energy at home
Did you know?
As of December 2022, we estimate that Energy Shift has already helped Nest Renew users collectively prioritize cleaner energy usage for over 110 million hours.3
2 A Renew Premium $10/month subscription is required. Learn how this is done with renewable energy credits (RECs). Nest Renew will be purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) from wind and solar plants in the United States. The majority of these RECs will come from our flagship project Bethel Wind in Castro County, TX, with the remainder coming from US solar.
Product features
Google NestNest thermostats
Related resources
Tips to save even more with your Nest thermostat
A look at how we’re building more sustainable hardware
Did you know?
The average US household in a single-family home spends about 53 percent of its energy-related expenditures on heating and cooling, which adds up to about $92 billion per year nationwide.
2 These energy savings are calculated based on the typical percentage of heating and cooling savings found in real-world studies of the Nest thermostats. To calculate the total savings, we apply these savings percentages to the actual heating and cooling hours of all Nest thermostats. Energy savings are an estimate, not a guarantee that any individual user will save energy.
4 Portugal - Countries & Regions. IEA. 2021.
Product features
Google SearchEnergy-saving tips for Europe
Related resources
New feature to help people navigate the energy crisis in Europe