Carbon footprint
What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide, that are emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product during its lifecycle (Source: University of Michigan, Center for Sustainable Systems). A carbon footprint is typically measured in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential, by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential (Source: European Commission, Eurostat).
The evolution of the term “carbon footprint”
The specific term "carbon footprint" gained prominence in the early 2000s as a subset of the broader ecological footprint. Nowadays, corporations use the concept of the carbon footprint as part of sustainability reporting and environmental impact assessments.
Why is understanding one’s carbon footprint important?
Measuring and managing carbon footprints is an essential part of sustainability efforts, and many entities are setting targets to achieve carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions as part of global initiatives to combat climate change (See Glossary: Net Zero). The concept of a carbon footprint contributes to the broader understanding of environmental responsibility and the need for collective action to address climate-related challenges (Source: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews).
How CLEAResult helps organizations measure and reduce their carbon footprint
We’ve developed a technology solution, CLEAResult ATLAS™ Carbon, to make it easy for organizations to calculate and track their carbon emissions so they can make signification reductions in their overall carbon footprint.
The concept of a carbon footprint contributes to the broader understanding of environmental responsibility and the need for collective action to address climate-related challenges.