Travel Emissions Calculator


Postal code of event location*

Postal codes of attendees, one per line*

Postal codes can be any of the following:

  • 5 digit U.S. Zip Code
    (e.g. 97401)
  • At least the first 3 characters of the 6 character Canadian Postal Code
    (e.g. A1A for A1A 1A1)
  • 2 letter ISO Country Code
    (e.g. GB for Great Britain)

What is the TEC?

The Travel Emissions Calculator (TEC) is a tool created by the City of Eugene in conjunction with the Council for Responsible Sport. As a resource for sporting events, conferences, and other events, the TEC allows event organizers to accurately calculate the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) created by travel to and from events. Initially developed to calculate GHGs created by the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships in 2014 hosted at Hayward Field in Eugene, the tool has grown into a valuable resource for events of all sizes.

Alternative modes of transportation

Alternative modes of transportation, such as public transit and biking, can help reduce the carbon footprint of an event.

The TEC allows event organizers and certifiers to determine the greenhouse gas impacts of an event and offers event organizers a table in which the number of event attendees can be adjusted to see how small reductions or increases in long distance air travel can significantly impact the total carbon footprint of an event.

Due to the ease of use and accuracy, anyone can effectively use the TEC. Events need only a list of postal codes, or the International Country Code of their participants, volunteers and attendees in order to use this calculator. Entering the data takes very little time—simply copy and paste your list of postal and country codes into the box at the left, enter the zip code of your event's location, and click the Calculate button. The results can be used to determine greenhouse gas emissions for sustainability certification applications, carbon offset calculations, and in devising strategies to reduce carbon impacts for future events.

How Does it Work?

Behind the scenes, each postal code entry is searched, returning the longitude and latitude. The transit calculator computes the areal distance between the two locations using the Halversine Formula. That distance, in miles, is then multiplied by the EPA's emissions factors for vehicle and airplane travel. In line with the EPA's definition, GHGs are calculated in their CO2 equivalence. These gases, which include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), are measured in metric tons to remain consistent with the conversion factors (for example, kg CO2/vehicle-mile).

Questions?

For questions about this tool, please contact our Waste Prevention staff at wasteprevention@ci.eugene.or.us.