Estimate your annual greenhouse gas emissions based on your lifestyle choices.
Petrol Car
Diesel Car
Electric Car
Motorcycle
Public Transport (Bus/Train)
Natural Gas
Heating Oil
Electricity
Propane
Wood
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Low Meat
Average Meat
High Meat
Your estimated annual carbon footprint will appear here.
Understanding Your Carbon Footprint
Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by your actions. This calculator provides an estimate of your annual footprint based on key lifestyle areas: transportation, home energy, diet, and waste. Reducing your carbon footprint is crucial in mitigating climate change.
How the Calculation Works:
This calculator uses simplified emission factors for various activities. The formula generally follows: Activity Quantity × Emission Factor = Carbon Emissions.
1. Transportation Emissions:
This is calculated based on the distance traveled and the type of vehicle. Different fuels and vehicle efficiencies result in varying CO2 emissions per kilometer. Electric vehicles are assigned a lower emission factor, often considering the carbon intensity of the electricity grid, though for simplicity here, it's generally lower than fossil fuel vehicles.
Petrol Car: ~0.15 kg CO2e per km
Diesel Car: ~0.17 kg CO2e per km
Electric Car: ~0.05 kg CO2e per km (average grid)
Motorcycle: ~0.08 kg CO2e per km
Public Transport: ~0.03 kg CO2e per km (average bus/train)
2. Home Energy Emissions:
This section accounts for the electricity and heating used in your home. The carbon intensity of electricity varies by region, and different heating fuels have different emission profiles.
Electricity: ~0.4 kg CO2e per kWh (average grid)
Natural Gas: ~0.19 kg CO2e per kWh (or ~2 kg CO2e per liter equivalent)
Heating Oil: ~2.5 kg CO2e per liter
Propane: ~1.5 kg CO2e per liter
Wood: ~0.02 kg CO2e per kWh (if sustainably sourced, otherwise can be higher)
Note: Heating fuel usage is converted to kWh for consistent calculation where applicable.
3. Diet Emissions:
Food production, especially meat and dairy, has a significant environmental impact due to land use, methane emissions from livestock, and transportation. Dietary choices are approximated:
Vegan: ~1.5 tonnes CO2e per year
Vegetarian: ~1.7 tonnes CO2e per year
Pescatarian: ~1.9 tonnes CO2e per year
Low Meat: ~2.4 tonnes CO2e per year
Average Meat: ~2.7 tonnes CO2e per year
High Meat: ~3.3 tonnes CO2e per year
4. Waste Emissions:
The decomposition of waste in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The emission factor is based on the amount of waste generated.
~1.5 kg CO2e per kg of waste
Use Cases:
This calculator is a tool for:
Awareness: Understanding the primary sources of your personal greenhouse gas emissions.
Education: Learning how different lifestyle choices impact the environment.
Goal Setting: Identifying areas where you can make changes to reduce your footprint.
Comparison: Benchmarking your footprint against national or global averages (though this calculator provides a personal estimate).
Remember, this is an estimate. For precise measurements, a detailed life cycle assessment would be required. However, this tool provides valuable insights for making informed decisions towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
function calculateCarbonFootprint() {
// Emission factors (kg CO2e per unit)
var emissionFactors = {
transport: {
carPetrol: 0.15, // kg CO2e per km
carDiesel: 0.17, // kg CO2e per km
electricCar: 0.05, // kg CO2e per km (average grid intensity)
motorcycle: 0.08, // kg CO2e per km
publicTransport: 0.03 // kg CO2e per km
},
homeEnergy: {
electricity: 0.4, // kg CO2e per kWh
naturalGas: 0.19, // kg CO2e per kWh
heatingOil: 2.5, // kg CO2e per liter
propane: 1.5, // kg CO2e per liter
wood: 0.02 // kg CO2e per kWh (sustainable)
},
diet: { // Approximate tonnes CO2e per year
vegan: 1.5,
vegetarian: 1.7,
pescatarian: 1.9,
lowMeat: 2.4,
averageMeat: 2.7,
highMeat: 3.3
},
waste: 1.5 // kg CO2e per kg of waste
};
// Get input values
var transportationKms = parseFloat(document.getElementById("transportationKms").value);
var transportType = document.getElementById("transportType").value;
var homeEnergyKwh = parseFloat(document.getElementById("homeEnergyKwh").value);
var homeHeatingFuel = document.getElementById("homeHeatingFuel").value;
var heatingKwhOrLiters = parseFloat(document.getElementById("heatingKwhOrLiters").value);
var dietType = document.getElementById("dietType").value;
var wasteKg = parseFloat(document.getElementById("wasteKg").value);
var totalCarbonFootprint = 0;
// Validate inputs and calculate transportation emissions
if (!isNaN(transportationKms) && transportationKms > 0 && emissionFactors.transport[transportType] !== undefined) {
var transportEmissions = transportationKms * emissionFactors.transport[transportType];
totalCarbonFootprint += transportEmissions;
}
// Validate inputs and calculate home electricity emissions
if (!isNaN(homeEnergyKwh) && homeEnergyKwh > 0 && emissionFactors.homeEnergy.electricity !== undefined) {
var electricityEmissions = homeEnergyKwh * emissionFactors.homeEnergy.electricity;
totalCarbonFootprint += electricityEmissions;
}
// Validate inputs and calculate home heating emissions
if (!isNaN(heatingKwhOrLiters) && heatingKwhOrLiters > 0 && emissionFactors.homeEnergy[homeHeatingFuel] !== undefined) {
var heatingEmissions = 0;
if (homeHeatingFuel === 'naturalGas') {
// Assuming 1 liter of natural gas is roughly 10 kWh for heating purposes (this is a simplification)
// A more precise conversion for natural gas heating would use therms or m3 and specific heat value
// For simplicity, we'll use the kWh factor directly if the user inputs kWh, or a rough liters to kWh conversion if they input liters.
// A common rule of thumb for heating oil is ~10 kWh/liter. Let's assume a similar rough conversion for natural gas if liters are input.
// However, the prompt says kWh or Liters. Let's prioritize kWh for natural gas as it has a direct kWh factor.
// If the user inputs 'liters' for natural gas, this calculation is problematic without a clear conversion.
// Re-interpreting: If fuel is natural gas, it's likely they input kWh or m³. The input label is 'kWh or Liters'.
// For natural gas, we'll assume they input kWh if they choose it. If they input 'liters' for natural gas, it's an error in user input or a mismatch.
// Let's refine: If heating fuel is natural gas, assume input is kWh. If heating fuel is oil/propane, assume input is Liters.
if (document.getElementById("homeHeatingFuel").value === 'naturalGas') {
heatingEmissions = heatingKwhOrLiters * emissionFactors.homeEnergy.naturalGas;
} else if (document.getElementById("homeHeatingFuel").value === 'heatingOil' || document.getElementById("homeHeatingFuel").value === 'propane') {
// The emission factors for oil and propane are per liter.
heatingEmissions = heatingKwhOrLiters * emissionFactors.homeEnergy[homeHeatingFuel];
} else if (document.getElementById("homeHeatingFuel").value === 'wood') {
// Assuming input is in kWh for wood if not specified otherwise.
heatingEmissions = heatingKwhOrLiters * emissionFactors.homeEnergy.wood;
} else {
// Default or if input unit is ambiguous for wood/electricity
heatingEmissions = heatingKwhOrLiters * emissionFactors.homeEnergy.electricity; // Fallback, less ideal
}
} else {
// For heatingOil, propane, wood, electricity, the factor is per liter or kWh as defined.
heatingEmissions = heatingKwhOrLiters * emissionFactors.homeEnergy[homeHeatingFuel];
}
totalCarbonFootprint += heatingEmissions;
}
// Add diet emissions (already in tonnes, convert to kg)
if (emissionFactors.diet[dietType] !== undefined) {
var dietEmissionsKg = emissionFactors.diet[dietType] * 1000; // Convert tonnes to kg
totalCarbonFootprint += dietEmissionsKg;
}
// Validate inputs and calculate waste emissions
if (!isNaN(wasteKg) && wasteKg > 0) {
var wasteEmissions = wasteKg * emissionFactors.waste;
totalCarbonFootprint += wasteEmissions;
}
// Display result in kg CO2e
var resultElement = document.getElementById("result");
if (totalCarbonFootprint > 0) {
resultElement.innerHTML = "Your estimated annual carbon footprint: " + totalCarbonFootprint.toFixed(2) + " kg CO2e";
} else {
resultElement.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields to calculate your footprint.";
}
}