Carbon Interface

API to calculate carbon (C02) emissions estimates for common C02 emitting activities

Carbon Interface provides a REST API for estimating CO2 emissions from common activities — flights, vehicle travel, electricity usage, and shipping. You submit activity data (e.g., distance traveled, kWh consumed) and get back carbon equivalent estimates in kilograms or pounds. The API uses emission factors from established databases. For OpenClaw agents, Carbon Interface enables sustainability-aware automation. Your agent can estimate the carbon footprint of a flight when booking travel, track monthly electricity emissions, or add carbon data to reports. It's a niche but useful API for environmentally-conscious workflows and ESG reporting.

Tags: data, environment

Category: Environment

Use Cases

  • Estimate carbon emissions for flights when planning travel via chat
  • Track monthly electricity carbon footprint from utility data
  • Add emission estimates to business travel reports

Tips

  • Use airport IATA codes (BOM, DEL, JFK) for flight estimates — the API requires them
  • Cache estimates for the same routes — emissions don't change for identical trips
  • Combine with travel booking data to automatically track your annual carbon footprint

Known Issues & Gotchas

  • Free tier is limited to 200 estimates/month — sufficient for personal but not commercial use
  • Emission factors vary by region — make sure to specify country/state for electricity estimates
  • API returns estimates, not actuals — don't use for regulatory compliance reporting

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate are Carbon Interface's estimates?

They use established emission factors from EPA, DEFRA, and other agencies. Estimates are directionally accurate for planning purposes but not precise enough for regulatory carbon accounting.

What types of emissions can it estimate?

Four types: flights (by airport codes), vehicles (by distance and fuel type), electricity (by kWh and country/state), and shipping (by weight and distance).

Is 200 estimates/month enough?

For personal use, yes. If you're estimating a few flights and monthly electricity, you'll use maybe 10-20 per month. For bulk processing, you'll need a paid plan.