GeneralCLASS 10CBSE
answered 25 May 2026What is carbon footprint? What are examples and how do we calculate it?
A.VERIFIED ANSWERfact-checked by tutors
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases primarily CO₂ and methane generated by a person, organization, product, or nation, expressed in CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e).
Examples of carbon footprint:
| Activity | Approximate CO₂e |
|---|---|
| Flying London to New York (one way) | ~1.7 tonnes CO₂e per passenger |
| Driving a petrol car (1 km) | ~0.21 kg CO₂e |
| Eating 1 kg of beef | ~27 kg CO₂e |
| Eating 1 kg of chicken | ~6.9 kg CO₂e |
| Eating 1 kg of vegetables | ~2 kg CO₂e or less |
| Average Indian per year | ~1.9 tonnes CO₂e |
| Average American per year | ~14–16 tonnes CO₂e |
| Global average per person | ~4–5 tonnes CO₂e |
Two types:
- Primary footprint: Direct emissions from energy consumption (driving, flying, heating)
- Secondary footprint: Indirect emissions from products and services you consume (food, clothing, electronics)
How to calculate your carbon footprint:
- Identify emission categories: Home energy, transportation, diet, shopping, waste
- Measure activity data: Monthly electricity usage (kWh), km driven, flights taken
- Apply emission factors: Each activity has a known kg CO₂e per unit
- Example calculation:
Annual car travel: 15,000 km × 0.21 kg CO₂e/km = 3,150 kg = 3.15 tonnes CO₂e/year
- Total all categories to get your annual footprint
Free tools: WWF Carbon Footprint Calculator, Carbon Footprint Ltd, Global Footprint Network