What is a carbon footprint and how do we reduce it?

In an era of increasing importance of ecology, it is useful to know what the carbon footprint of a product, person or organisation is. A carbon footprint is a type of indicator that refers to the emissions of greenhouse gases that end up in the atmosphere and thus contribute to its pollution. The daily production of harmful substances negatively affects the environment, the climate and also the planet as a whole. Find out what contributes to the growth of your carbon footprint and how you can reduce it yourself.

Carbon footprint - what is it?

An aspect that often comes up in environmental discourse is the carbon footprint. What is it and how does it affect the functioning of our planet? A carbon footprint is nothing more than the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted by a single person, product, company or event (it all depends on which scope we are looking at). Greenhouse gases, on the other hand, are a group of harmful substances such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and many other components.

Some people ask the question, does the ordinary person really emit such harmful agents into the environment on a daily basis? It turns out that we do. Our individual carbon footprint is built up by everyday activities and consumer decisions. Indeed, the rate of gas emissions depends on the process of production of goods and the raw materials used for this, the way they are transported, used and also disposed of.

Impact of the carbon footprint on climate change

The carbon footprint of people, products, organisations or events has a huge impact on our planet. All the harmful substances we emit into the atmosphere contribute to increasing global warming. The strongest impact is on the climate, which is changing more and more every year. Melting glaciers, hot summers or droughts are all negative consequences of dangerously high greenhouse gas emissions.

The carbon footprint also defines the consumption of resources our planet offers. Careless stewardship of what the Earth gives us could, in the near future, lead to deficits in the raw materials needed for survival.

Calculating the carbon footprint - how much does the average person produce?

How do you calculate your carbon footprint? To find out how much gas we are emitting into the atmosphere, we need to use the carbon footprint measure, or tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This scale is designed to reflect the differences between the harmfulness of different greenhouse gases. It allows the environmental impact of each emitted substance to be compared.

According to calculations, on average each person in Poland produces around 10 tonnes of carbon footprint every year. However, it all depends on what kind of house he lives in and how he insulates it, what and how often he travels, what he eats and his overall lifestyle. Wondering what leaves the largest carbon footprint in your case? You can find out with the help of an overview gas emissions calculator. You can find a tool for calculating your carbon footprint on the websites of environmental organisations or on the UN website.

How to reduce the carbon footprint? - Actions to reduce its emissions

A zero carbon footprint is an ideal that not only businesses from industry should strive for, but also individual consumers who form the basis of society. You can incorporate gas emission reductions into your life in small steps. It is worth starting with dietary changes. Eat seasonal and local produce and try to limit meat. Choose responsibly farmed fish and always pack your groceries in reusable bags.

Bet on electric vehicles too, as the carbon footprint of electric cars is much smaller than that of combustion ones. And ideally, switch from cars to bikes and trains. In addition, reduce your water and energy consumption. You can, for example, reduce the temperature of your radiators by 1 degree, unplug a charged phone and choose A-rated energy-efficient appliances. Also remember to separate waste, which plays an important and vital role in ecology.