Carbon Interface
FreemiumCarbon footprint estimation API for developers to calculate emissions from electricity, flights, shipping, and vehicles with simple REST endpoints.
What does this tool do?
Carbon Interface is a REST API platform that enables developers to integrate carbon emissions calculations directly into their applications. It provides pre-built endpoints for estimating emissions across five major categories: electricity generation, passenger flights, vehicle operation, package shipping, and fuel combustion. The API leverages data from authoritative sources like the EPA, GHG Protocol, and Environment Canada to calculate emissions factors, eliminating the need for developers to build their own carbon accounting infrastructure. The platform also includes Carbon Ledger, a feature for measuring climate impact from financial transaction data. All estimates are accessible through a simple REST interface with a monitoring dashboard for tracking API usage and estimate history.
AI analysis from Feb 23, 2026
Key Features
- Electricity emissions estimation accounting for regional power generation mix by country/state
- Flight emissions calculation based on passenger count and airport distances
- Vehicle emissions modeling for 42,000+ different vehicle models
- Shipping emissions estimation between two geographic locations
- Fuel combustion emissions for 12+ fuel sources in both volume and BTU measurements
- Carbon Ledger for tracking climate impact of financial transactions
- Monitoring dashboard for viewing API usage and historical estimates
- REST API with 256-bit encryption for secure integration
Use Cases
- 1E-commerce platforms showing customers the carbon footprint of their shipping choices and offering carbon offset options at checkout
- 2Travel booking websites displaying flight emissions per passenger and allowing users to compare carbon impact across different routes or airlines
- 3Delivery and logistics companies calculating and reporting emissions for each shipment to meet corporate sustainability reporting requirements
- 4Financial institutions integrating Carbon Ledger to measure and disclose climate impact of their transaction portfolios
- 5Utility companies or energy retailers estimating grid emissions based on regional power generation mix for customer education
- 6Vehicle marketplace or rental platforms displaying estimated emissions for different vehicle models to help users make greener choices
- 7ESG reporting software pulling accurate emissions data to automate corporate carbon footprint calculations
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Authoritative data sources (EPA, GHG Protocol, Environment Canada) ensure emissions estimates meet regulatory and reporting standards rather than relying on questionable third-party methodologies
- Free tier with 200 requests/month is genuinely generous for prototyping and small projects, with no credit card requirement implied
- Broad coverage across five distinct emission categories plus financial transaction tracking reduces need for multiple specialized APIs
- Simple REST API design means quick integration regardless of tech stack, with dedicated support starting at $30/month tier
Limitations
- Limited transparency on methodology—while data sources are listed, the actual calculation formulas and assumptions aren't detailed on the marketing site, requiring users to dig into external documentation
- Pricing jumps significantly from free (200 requests) to startup tier ($30/month for 5,000 requests), which may frustrate users approaching free tier limits
- No mention of real-time data updates or refresh frequency for emissions factors, raising questions about how current the estimates are relative to grid changes or regulatory updates
- Appears to lack native support for Scope 3 emissions calculations beyond direct activities (e.g., supply chain tracking, employee commuting), limiting use for comprehensive ESG reporting
Pricing Details
Free Hobby tier: 200 requests/month, REST API access, monitoring dashboard, no setup fee. Startup plan: $30/month for 5,000 requests/month plus dedicated support. Business plan: $250/month for 100,000 requests/month plus integration support. All paid tiers include REST API, monitoring dashboard, no setup fee, 256-bit encryption, and dedicated support.
Who is this for?
Backend developers and engineering teams at e-commerce, travel, logistics, and fintech companies who need to embed carbon emissions calculations into customer-facing or internal reporting systems. Best suited for companies of all sizes from startups building sustainability features to enterprises requiring accurate emissions data for ESG compliance and reporting.