Carbon Footprint Calculator
Calculate your annual carbon emissions from transportation, energy, diet, and shopping
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How to Use
- 1 Enter transportation data — Input your annual car miles, fuel type, public transit usage, and number of flights. Consider both daily commuting and occasional trips.
- 2 Add home energy usage — Enter your monthly electricity and natural gas usage from utility bills. Include heating oil or propane if applicable, and specify your household size.
- 3 Describe your diet — Select your diet type from meat-heavy to vegan, and estimate how much food you waste. Meat consumption, especially beef, has the highest carbon impact.
- 4 Estimate shopping habits — Enter approximate monthly spending on clothing, annual electronics purchases, and other goods. Manufacturing and shipping contribute significantly to emissions.
- 5 Review results — See your total carbon footprint compared to US and global averages, breakdown by category, and personalized recommendations for reduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (primarily CO2) caused directly and indirectly by a person, organization, event, or product. It's measured in tons of CO2 equivalent per year. The average American has a carbon footprint of about 16 tons per year, while the global average is around 4 tons.
How accurate is this carbon footprint calculator?
This calculator uses EPA emission factors and industry-standard methodologies to provide reasonable estimates. Results are approximate and depend on the accuracy of your inputs. Actual emissions can vary based on specific circumstances, energy sources, and consumption patterns not captured in simplified calculations.
What's considered a good carbon footprint?
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5-2°C, which requires reducing the average global carbon footprint to around 2 tons per person per year by 2050. Currently, the global average is 4 tons, and the US average is 16 tons. Any footprint below the US average (16 tons) is progress, but below 4 tons is excellent.
What are the biggest contributors to carbon footprint?
For most Americans, transportation (especially car and air travel), home energy use (heating, cooling, electricity), and diet (especially meat consumption) are the three largest contributors. Shopping and consumption of goods also add significantly to your overall footprint.
How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Key strategies include: driving less or switching to electric vehicles, using public transit, reducing air travel, switching to renewable energy, improving home energy efficiency, eating less meat (especially beef), reducing food waste, buying second-hand, and choosing durable products over disposable ones.