Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) that are generated by your actions.
This calculator provides an estimate based on your transportation habits, home energy use, diet, and waste generation.
Understanding your footprint is the first step towards reducing it and contributing to a more sustainable future.
How the Calculation Works
This calculator uses average emission factors for different activities. While these are estimates, they provide a useful baseline.
The calculation combines emissions from several key areas:
Transportation Emissions
Car: Calculated based on distance driven, fuel efficiency, and average CO2 emissions per liter of fuel. A typical petrol car emits around 2.3 kg CO2 per liter of fuel, while diesel emits around 2.7 kg CO2 per liter.
Public Transit: Based on average emissions per passenger-kilometer for buses and trains. These are generally lower than private cars but vary significantly by region and energy source.
Motorcycle: Similar to cars, based on distance and fuel efficiency, but with different emission factors per liter.
Airplane: Emission factors for flights are complex and depend on distance, altitude, and aircraft type. We use simplified estimates for short and long-haul flights.
Home Energy Emissions
Calculated based on your monthly electricity consumption (kWh) and the average carbon intensity of electricity generation in your region. This varies greatly by country. For this calculator, we use a global average emission factor for electricity production.
Dietary Emissions
Different diets have vastly different environmental impacts. Meat production, especially beef, is a significant source of greenhouse gases (methane from livestock and land-use change). Vegan diets have the lowest footprint, followed by vegetarian and then omnivore diets.
Waste Emissions
Waste decomposition in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The amount of waste generated is a direct contributor to these emissions. Recycling and composting can significantly reduce this impact.
Example Calculation
Let's consider an example user:
Transportation: Drives a car 150 km/week, with a fuel efficiency of 15 km/liter. (150 km / 15 km/L = 10 liters/week. 10 L * 52 weeks/year * 2.3 kg CO2/L = 1196 kg CO2/year)
Home Energy: Uses 300 kWh per month. (300 kWh/month * 12 months/year * 0.45 kg CO2/kWh = 1620 kg CO2/year – *using a global average electricity emission factor*)
Diet: Omnivore (High Meat Consumption). (Estimated ~1700 kg CO2e/year)
Waste: Generates 5 kg of waste per week. (5 kg/week * 52 weeks/year * 0.5 kg CO2/kg waste = 130 kg CO2/year – *average factor for mixed waste*)
Total Estimated Annual Footprint: 1196 + 1620 + 1700 + 130 = 4646 kg CO2e/year (or 4.65 tonnes CO2e/year).
Note: CO2e stands for Carbon Dioxide Equivalent, accounting for other greenhouse gases like methane. The emission factors used are approximations.
Why Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
Reducing your carbon footprint is crucial for mitigating climate change, protecting ecosystems, and ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. Small changes in daily habits, when adopted by many, can lead to significant collective impact.
function showHideInputGroups() {
var transportationMode = document.getElementById("transportation_mode").value;
document.getElementById("car_details").style.display = (transportationMode === "car") ? "block" : "none";
document.getElementById("public_transit_details").style.display = (transportationMode === "public_transit") ? "block" : "none";
document.getElementById("motorcycle_details").style.display = (transportationMode === "motorcycle") ? "block" : "none";
document.getElementById("airplane_details").style.display = (transportationMode === "airplane") ? "block" : "none";
}
function calculateCarbonFootprint() {
var transportationMode = document.getElementById("transportation_mode").value;
var homeEnergyConsumption = parseFloat(document.getElementById("home_energy_consumption").value);
var dietType = document.getElementById("diet_type").value;
var wasteGeneration = parseFloat(document.getElementById("waste_generation").value);
var transportationEmissions = 0;
var homeEmissions = 0;
var dietEmissions = 0;
var wasteEmissions = 0;
// Emission Factors (kg CO2e per unit) – THESE ARE ESTIMATES AND CAN VARY WIDELY
var CO2_PER_LITER_GASOLINE = 2.3; // kg/L
var CO2_PER_LITER_DIESEL = 2.7; // kg/L (for older diesel, modern can be cleaner)
var CO2_PER_KM_PUBLIC_TRANSIT = 0.1; // kg/km (average for bus/train)
var CO2_PER_KM_MOTORCYCLE = 0.15; // kg/km (estimate, varies by engine size)
var CO2_PER_FLIGHT_LONG = 1500; // kg CO2e per long-haul flight (average estimate)
var CO2_PER_FLIGHT_SHORT = 300; // kg CO2e per short flight (average estimate)
var CO2_PER_KWH_ELECTRICITY = 0.45; // kg CO2e/kWh (global average, highly variable by region)
var CO2_PER_KG_WASTE = 0.5; // kg CO2e/kg waste (average factor for landfill)
// Transportation Calculation
if (transportationMode === "car") {
var carKmPerWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById("car_km_per_week").value);
var carFuelEfficiency = parseFloat(document.getElementById("car_fuel_efficiency").value);
if (!isNaN(carKmPerWeek) && !isNaN(carFuelEfficiency) && carFuelEfficiency > 0) {
var litersPerWeek = carKmPerWeek / carFuelEfficiency;
transportationEmissions = litersPerWeek * 52 * CO2_PER_LITER_GASOLINE; // Assuming gasoline
}
} else if (transportationMode === "public_transit") {
var publicTransitKmPerWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById("public_transit_km_per_week").value);
if (!isNaN(publicTransitKmPerWeek)) {
transportationEmissions = publicTransitKmPerWeek * 52 * CO2_PER_KM_PUBLIC_TRANSIT;
}
} else if (transportationMode === "motorcycle") {
var motorcycleKmPerWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById("motorcycle_km_per_week").value);
var motorcycleFuelEfficiency = parseFloat(document.getElementById("motorcycle_fuel_efficiency").value);
if (!isNaN(motorcycleKmPerWeek) && !isNaN(motorcycleFuelEfficiency) && motorcycleFuelEfficiency > 0) {
var litersPerWeek = motorcycleKmPerWeek / motorcycleFuelEfficiency;
transportationEmissions = litersPerWeek * 52 * CO2_PER_KM_MOTORCYCLE; // Assuming a blend or general factor
}
} else if (transportationMode === "airplane") {
var airplaneFlightsLong = parseFloat(document.getElementById("airplane_flights_per_year").value);
var airplaneFlightsShort = parseFloat(document.getElementById("airplane_short_flights_per_year").value);
if (!isNaN(airplaneFlightsLong)) {
transportationEmissions += airplaneFlightsLong * CO2_PER_FLIGHT_LONG;
}
if (!isNaN(airplaneFlightsShort)) {
transportationEmissions += airplaneFlightsShort * CO2_PER_FLIGHT_SHORT;
}
}
// Home Energy Calculation
if (!isNaN(homeEnergyConsumption)) {
homeEmissions = homeEnergyConsumption * 12 * CO2_PER_KWH_ELECTRICITY;
}
// Diet Calculation (Estimates in kg CO2e per year)
if (dietType === "vegan") {
dietEmissions = 700; // kg CO2e/year
} else if (dietType === "vegetarian") {
dietEmissions = 900; // kg CO2e/year
} else if (dietType === "pescatarian") {
dietEmissions = 1100; // kg CO2e/year
} else if (dietType === "omnivore_low_meat") {
dietEmissions = 1500; // kg CO2e/year
} else if (dietType === "omnivore_high_meat") {
dietEmissions = 1700; // kg CO2e/year
}
// Waste Calculation
if (!isNaN(wasteGeneration)) {
wasteEmissions = wasteGeneration * 52 * CO2_PER_KG_WASTE;
}
var totalEmissions = transportationEmissions + homeEmissions + dietEmissions + wasteEmissions;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
if (totalEmissions > 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Your estimated annual carbon footprint is: " +
totalEmissions.toFixed(2) + " kg CO2e" +
"(Kilograms of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent)";
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
} else {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields to calculate your footprint.";
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
}
}
// Initial setup for showing/hiding transportation details
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", showHideInputGroups);
document.getElementById("transportation_mode").addEventListener("change", showHideInputGroups);