How Do Carbon Footprints Work?

Understanding how a carbon footprint works is key to helping make smarter sustainability-focused decisions, both within your organization and among investors.

When it comes to global warming, the impact of our actions can be hard to measure. But understanding your carbon footprint, or the role greenhouse gasses play is a great way to start. It’s the sum of all the greenhouse gasses you produce, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and more.

These emissions can come from how you travel, heat your home, your fuel efficiency, and even what you eat. For the average American, reducing their personal footprint can be something as simple as changing their lifestyles. Others look at long-term and smart solutions to make a positive difference in the fight against climate change.

Below, we’ll explore how a carbon footprint works, how to calculate it, and what you can do to reduce yours.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

This is the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans and organizations based on their lifestyles and daily activities. These emissions come from burning fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, cement production, synthetic fertilizers in agriculture, and the decay of organic matter. 

Greenhouse gasses are essential to life on earth because they trap heat from the sun and keep our planet warm. However, too many greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere can cause global warming and climate change as they are very long-lasting.

It is usually expressed in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which also considers other greenhouse gasses. It’s important to note that greenhouse emissions are not the same as the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) you produce.

A footprint comprises the total amount of CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gasses like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) emitted by everyone in the world, from cars, homes, diets, and even hobbies. It’s a good idea to keep track of your carbon footprint because it helps you understand how your actions impact the environment and determine how to reduce your impact.

Types of Carbon Footprints

Direct footprint

This is the amount of CO2 emissions produced by your activities. Although one person might have a higher direct carbon footprint than another, they can both positively impact the environment through lifestyle changes. The European Union and the United States have a disproportionate amount of influence on global carbon emissions compared to their population size, with citizens in each emitting 1.5 and 3 times more GHGs per capita than average respectively; however, they remain lower-than-average when measured relatively to GDP.

Indirect Footprint

This is the amount of CO2 emissions produced due to someone else’s activities. For example, the CO2 emissions resulting from the electricity produced by your local power company. Your lifestyle has an indirect carbon footprint: the CO2 emissions generated by others on your behalf.

Think of the example above, from your local power companies, and imagine how many tonnes of greenhouse gasses are released into our atmosphere due to that alone. It’s crucial we pay attention even to these hidden impacts, as they add up quickly when it comes down to caring for the environment.

Cumulative Footprint

The global cumulative footprint of CO2 emissions is a daunting figure to comprehend. This is the total amount of CO2 emissions produced by all the people on the planet. With people all over the world contributing, it has become increasingly challenging and complex to accurately measure this impact on our planet.

Major Sources of Carbon Emissions

Many factors can cause greenhouse emissions. Most are related to what you do and how you do it, while others are related to what you buy and dispose of. With global temperatures rising to record levels and weather patterns becoming increasingly extreme, understanding the most significant sources of carbon emissions is vitally important.

As climate change advocates, sustainability advisors, and investors, we must come together to understand the scale of our current environmental crisis and that starts with identifying the major contributions of greenhouse gasses. Below are some of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions.

Location

Different regions have different climatic conditions that affect the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Areas with warm, arid climates tend to have higher levels of carbon in the atmosphere than areas with cold, wet climates. An individual living in a warm area will have higher CO2 emissions than one in a cold area.

Transportation

Transportation is the second-largest source of CO2 emissions in many countries. The transportation type, distance traveled, and fuel type impact your carbon dioxide emissions. Driving a car will produce far more CO2 emissions than public transportation.

The emissions from driving a car depend on the type of car you drive, how far you drive, and how efficiently you drive. Increasing the distance you drive, and the amount of fossil fuels you burn will increase your greenhouse emissions. Air travel produces the highest amount of CO2 emissions.

Buildings

The type of home you live in has an impact on your personal carbon footprint. This includes the energy required to heat and cool buildings and the impacts of building materials, furniture, and appliances. A building powered by fossil fuels will likely produce a lot of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases.

Food

The type of food you eat has a huge effect on your ecological footprint. Food production is the third-largest source of CO2 emissions after energy use and industrial processes. This includes the CO2 emissions from growing crops and raising animals, as well as the transportation and storage of food.

Electricity

Electricity is the largest source of CO2 emissions in most countries. This includes the emissions from power plants and the construction of transmission lines. Generating electricity is a process that requires burning fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, and oil, all of which produce CO2. Electricity generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro, is free of CO2.

How to calculate your CO2 footprint

You can find your personal CO2 emissions online or using an online carbon calculator. You can also keep a log of your daily activities and the CO2 you produce.

• Start by gathering information on the amount of CO2 you produce each year, like the number of miles you drive or travel, the transportation type, the energy and water used in your house, the type of energy used, the food you eat, and the food you waste.
• You can then calculate your greenhouse emissions by multiplying your CO2 emissions by the global warming potential of each gas. The final number is the total amount of CO2 produced by your lifestyle.

If you’re looking to get a better understanding of your personal or corporate carbon footprint, you’re not alone. Many businesses and individuals seek to maximize their sustainability efforts by calculating their carbon footprint, and there are multiple tools available for doing so. Multiple carbon footprint calculators are available, so make sure you choose one relevant to your lifestyle and country.

How to reduce your greenhouse emissions

There are many ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, from simple lifestyle changes to installing renewable energy sources in your home. Below, we’ve listed a few ways.

Drive less and walk or cycle more

Switching to public transportation, carpooling, electric or hybrid vehicles, or cycling can reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 80%.

Eat less meat

Eat less meat, grow more food, and buy fewer packaged items to reduce your CO2 emissions by almost two tons of CO2 annually. It takes a lot of energy to produce meat, while plants like legumes and grains produce much less CO2.

Reduce your home’s energy use

You can cut your energy use by replacing old appliances, like refrigerators and water heaters, with energy-efficient ones, turning off lights when you are not using them, and reducing your reliance on electricity during peak hours.

Switch to renewable energy

Switching to renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines can lower your CO2 emissions by up to 80%. You can also choose a smart energy plan that automatically adapts to lower your bill and carbon emissions.

Reduce waste

Reducing your waste can lower your ecological footprint by up to 16%. Growing and harvesting crops, like fruits and vegetables, require a lot of energy. You can start by reducing food waste by grocery shopping with a planned meal menu, following a recipe, and using a food scale. You can also compost your food scraps and recycle plastics, paper, and cardboard.

Choose sustainable goods

Some products, like synthetic fabrics and plastic goods, cause significant CO2 emissions. On the other hand, sustainable alternatives like organic fabrics, reusable water bottles, and wooden furniture cause fewer environmental impacts.

Buy local produce and goods

Produce and goods that don’t travel far have lower CO2 emissions than imported goods.

Educate others and make positive lifestyle changes

You can also help others understand the importance of reducing their carbon footprint. You can share your knowledge with friends, family, and coworkers.

Switch to a cash-only lifestyle

This means you’ll need to visit with friends or neighbors more often in person, and you’ll need to reduce your online shopping.

Buy less stuff

Reduce your consumption by shopping at thrift stores, borrowing items from friends and family, and repairing broken items when possible.

Conclusion

Carbon footprints are important to understand because they show how much of an impact you have on the environment. It is not hard to calculate your carbon footprint and once you know what it is, there are many things that you can do to reduce it. If we all work together, we can make a big difference in slowing down climate change.

There is no better time than now to start making a change. What will you do to reduce your carbon footprint?