The term ‘carbon footprint’ is being used more and more as climate change and greenhouse gases becomes hot topics around the world. So what is a carbon footprint and why do we need to know about it?
A carbon footprint is an expression used to describe the amount of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) emitted in a life cycle. This life cycle could be that of a product, service, individual or group of people such as a business, and a Life Cycle Assessment is used to calculate the carbon footprint in question. A Life Cycle Assessment looks at everything which contributes to carbon emissions including, in the case of a product for example, the production of raw materials, the manufacturing process, transportation and packaging.
In terms of our own carbon footprints these tend to be calculated by considering the emissions we are responsible for in our daily lives. For example, the amount of electricity we use at home, the amount we use a car and the products we buy all contribute to our carbon footprint. It is extremely difficult to fully quantify the carbon footprint of an individual, but carbon footprint calculators have been designed to give an approximation of carbon emissions in order to see where reductions can be made. The carbon footprint calculators are available on many websites including the Act On CO2 website from the UK government.
Whether or not you know, or wish to quantify, your carbon footprint, it is important to consider where reductions in carbon emissions can be made. Using renewable energy, recycling, using public transport and buying energy efficient appliances are just some of the areas to think about.
