Pupil , a spatial data company, says that its virtual viewing product, Spec, could eliminate 51,500 cars from British roads each year with virtual property viewings, in turn reducing greenhouse emissions by 95.3k tonnes – equivalent to the carbon footprint of 11,800 homes.

The company says that around 26.8 million physical property viewings occur each year in the UK, and replacing each first physical property viewing with a virtual one would lead to a reduction in 410 million miles driven by estate agents and house hunters.

In 2019, the UK government became the first major economy to set its 2050 net-zero emission commitment into law – an achievement that requires major changes to energy production and how people live.

Office of National Statistics data shows that road transport emissions account for 21% of the UK’s carbon footprint, suggesting that tackling traffic is essential in reducing emissions.

Lowering emissions is also critical in maintaining public health.

A meta-analysis of air pollution’s impacts by The Royal College of Physicians showed children living in highly polluted areas are four times as likely to have significantly reduced lung function as adults, and that road transport emissions are linked to 10,000 premature deaths per year in the UK.

James D Marshall, founder and chief executive officer at Pupil, said:

“Reducing emissions from vehicles attending physical property viewings is pivotal in curbing the alarming levels of carbon emissions in the UK.

“Now more than ever, estate agents must embrace virtual viewings to keep the market moving during the pandemic.

“Virtual viewings are ‘the new normal’.

Building the new standard: How Spec virtual viewings are reducing carbon emissions.