The total amount of greenhouse gases produced (by an individual, organization, event or product) to directly and indirectly support human activities.
Usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of CO2
Eg: driving a car, heating a home, food processing etc.
Sum of all emissions of CO2 which were induced by human activities in a given time frame (usually one year)
Best way to calculate is emission based on fuel consumption – eg. 1 litre petrol produces 2.3 kg CO2
Methane and ozone are also taken into account for calculating carbon footprint
Powerful tool to understand the impact of personal behaviour on global warming
Establishing the carbon footprint of an organization can be the first step in a programme to reduce the emissions it causes.
The full footprint of an organisation encompasses a wide range of emissions sources from direct use of fuels to indirect impacts such as employee travel or emissions from other organizations up and down the supply chain.
Greenhouse gas emissions can be classified into three main types:
- Direct emissions that result from activities the organization controls
- Emissions from the use of electricity
- Indirect emissions from products and services
