Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂) but also including other gases such as methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), that are directly and indirectly generated by an individual, organization, product, or activity. These emissions are typically expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e), which standardize the global warming potential (GWP) of different gases for comparison and aggregation.According to the IPCC (2022), a carbon footprint refers to "the exclusive total amount of CO₂ emissions directly or indirectly caused by an activity or accumulated over the lifecycle of a product." This concept is widely used in both personal and institutional contexts to assess climate impact and identify opportunities for emissions reduction.Strategies to reduce carbon footprints include transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, promoting sustainable mobility and diets, reducing material consumption and waste, and adopting low-carbon technologies and practices across sectors (IPCC, 2022; UNEP, 2023). Measuring and minimizing carbon footprints is considered a key step in advancing climate mitigation and contributing to global emission reduction goals.