What Makes Up a Carbon Footprint – The Basics

In our modern era of a warming climate, ‘carbon footprint’ is a term of great importance. In short, a carbon footprint is an estimate of the impact an activity has on our changing climate. It is a calculation of greenhouse gas sources (notably CO2, methane and nitrous oxide), carbon sinks, and various forms of carbon storage — all expressed as a single number in CO2 equivalent.

How is it calculated?

Take a plastic bottle: emissions come from extracting and processing oil, the energy used to refine and transport it, moving the final product, plus the administration, electricity and paper the company uses. It can be calculated to an infinitesimal point — but in practice, estimation is based on what is feasible to measure. Major contributors like fuel usage, general conditions and transport logistics are always included.

Why does it matter?

The carbon footprint calculation is a powerful tool for understanding your impact on global warming. There’s a moral incentive (slowing climate change), a business incentive (attracting better employees, clients and trade partners), and a financial incentive — depending on your location, tax breaks may be available for demonstrably lowering your carbon emissions.