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A return transatlantic economy flight lands at roughly 1.6 t CO₂e per passenger once the high-altitude (radiative forcing) effect is included — that's about 76 tree-years of absorption for a single trip. Business and first class are multiples higher, because each seat takes up far more of the plane.
It's a striking comparison precisely because one holiday can outweigh a year of careful choices elsewhere. TreeMonkey lets you stack up several flights, or weigh a flight against a year of driving or home energy.
Source: DESNZ air travel conversion factors (economy, incl. radiative forcing). Figures are illustrative UK equivalents.
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Frequently asked questions
Why include radiative forcing?
Emissions released at altitude have a warming effect beyond the CO₂ alone. Including it (a common multiplier) gives a fuller picture; without it the figure is lower. TreeMonkey uses the with-RF figure and says so.
Does class of travel matter?
A lot — premium seats occupy more space, so their share of the flight’s emissions is several times economy.