The International Civil Aviation Organization has approved a Web-based tool for calculating the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from a given flight.

The ICAO Carbon Calculator, could be better described as a methodology for reading CO2 emissions by considering a range of variables such as aircraft type, route specific data, passenger load factors and cargo carried.

"We are excited at the potential of the Calculator to help individuals and organizations become part of the solution instead of being part of the problem," said Kobeh González, president of the ICAO Council. González said the Calculator would become more accurate as better technical and operational information becomes available.

ICAO's Carbon Calculator supports the United Nations Climate Neutral Initiative, which calls for all agencies to determine their total carbon emissions.

The unveiling of the Calculator coincides with ICAO's first ever Aviation and Carbon Markets Workshop being held today and tomorrow in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The workshop covers emissions trading, offsets and financing.

OAG Back Aviation Solutions, a sister company of Air Cargo World, has a similar CO2 emissions calculator that uses the OAG Schedules database and is based on the formula developed by the U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The OAG Carbon Emissions Calculator provides a macro-level view of the impact of commercial aviation on the environment.