1.2 Individual carbon footprints

Clearly, the problem of CO2 emissions needs to be tackled, and one way is through individual changes. To help with this, it is useful to know how much CO2 we emit individually through our current lifestyles. A good way to do this is to use the idea of a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of our activities on the environment, especially climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gas produced through burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) for things such as electricity, heating and transportation. It is a measurement of all the greenhouse gases we individually produce and is expressed in units of tonnes (or kg) of CO2 equivalent. There are several different ways to calculate your carbon footprint – one of the best is this calculator. It allows you to calculate carbon footprints for different aspects of your life such as your home and different modes of transport.

Activity 1

Use the carbon footprint calculator to calculate your carbon footprint.

1 The need for individual change

2 How individuals can make changes