Test your “carbon footprint”

Yuliia Pozniak

A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases produced by a particular human activity (individual, event, organization or product). On the internet you can find different “carbon footprint calculators” to work out your own carbon footprint.

There are, for example:

• Footprint calculator from WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) – UK average

The questionnaire is divided into four sections:

- Food: diet, food waste and buying habits. - Home: energy type and usage in the house, and the use of energysaving measures. - Travel: personal and public transport usage for leisure and work, and flights.

- Stuff: purchases of consumable items.

• Carbon Footprint Calculator from SC Johnson & Son, Inc. – US average This is a personal carbon calculator, and it focuses on everyday areas of most influence – your residential energy, personal travel and dietary emissions.

Here you can see your carbon footprint equivalent to trees:

• Footprint Calculator from Global Footprint Network This calculator shows your personal Earth Overshoot Day and how many earths you would need if everyone lived like you. The Ecological Footprint is derived by tracking how much biologically productive area is used to provide for people's competing demands.

How does the test work?

The programme calculates your carbon footprint based on comparison with other people and countries.