Travel technology company Sabre has announced it will integrate carbon emissions data from Google into its flight search tools to enable travellers to make informed decisions. 

The company will use Google's CO₂ emissions Travel Impact Model as part of its ongoing partnership with the tech giant, which is now in its fourth year. 

Sabre's chief communications and corporate responsibility officer Kristin Hays described the data integration as an “important step” in bringing sustainability to the travel mainstream: “As a technology company that sits at the core of the travel ecosystem, we believe we can play an important role in identifying emissions data to help travellers make more informed decisions when booking travel.”

The company's Sabre Red 360 travel agency tool has already integrated the emissions data into its service with Sabre's corporate online booking tool GetThere, which is expected to follow by the end of this year.

Google’s Travel Impact Model uses third-party data to estimate carbon emissions and provides users with the information whilst also labelling flights as “higher, typical, or lower” emissions when compared to the media emissions for that route. 

Google's head of travel sustainability and transport partnerships Sebnem Erzan said: “People should be able to understand the impact of their travel choice and we are delighted to extend the reach of the Travel Impact Model through Sabre.” 

Sabre’s use of the emissions data is emblematic of a growing concern in the aviation industry surrounding the sustainability of air travel and the impact on passenger decisions. 

The issue has seen a number of airline and aviation companies seek to brand themselves as sustainable and climate-aware, such as Qantas’ sustainability fund and discussions around Doncaster Airport’s potential as a low-carbon hub.