Understanding Your Carbon Footprint Estimate

Your carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by your activities, usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2e). This calculator provides a highly simplified estimate based on common lifestyle factors using generalized emission factors.

Important: Actual footprints are complex and depend on precise consumption, geographical location (e.g., the carbon intensity of your local electricity grid), and the specific goods and services you use. Emission factors also change over time. Use this result as an educational starting point for awareness, not as a precise scientific value.

How to Use the Calculator

1. Transportation: Enter your estimated annual distances for car travel (select type) and public transport. Input the number of short, medium, and long flights taken per year.
2. Home Energy: Enter your average monthly electricity usage (in kWh, check your bill). Tick the box if it's certified 100% renewable. Enter your annual usage of primary heating fuel (like natural gas or oil) if applicable.
3. Diet & Waste (Optional): Select the options that best describe your typical diet and household waste habits. These use broad averages.
4. Click "Estimate My Footprint."

Interpreting Your Results

• Total Footprint: Your estimated total annual emissions in tonnes of CO2e.
• Breakdown: Shows the estimated contribution of each category (transport, energy, diet, waste) to your total. This helps identify the biggest areas for potential reduction.
• Comparison: Puts your estimated footprint in context with a stated average (e.g., for your country). Note: The average figure needs to be kept up-to-date from reliable sources.

Emission Factors Used (PLACEHOLDERS - MUST BE UPDATED)

This calculator uses generalized emission factors for estimation. **These are examples and MUST be replaced with accurate, region-specific, and cited data for a meaningful calculation.**

• Car (Petrol): ~0.2 kg CO2e/km
• Car (Diesel): ~0.18 kg CO2e/km
• Car (Hybrid): ~0.12 kg CO2e/km
• Car (Electric - NZ Grid Avg): ~0.02 kg CO2e/km (NZ grid is low carbon, global avg is higher)
• Public Transport (Bus/Train): ~0.05 kg CO2e/km
• Flights: Short ~200kg CO2e/flight, Medium ~700kg CO2e/flight, Long ~2000kg CO2e/flight (per passenger)
• Electricity (NZ Grid Avg): ~0.1 kg CO2e/kWh (This varies greatly by region/country!)
• Natural Gas: ~0.2 kg CO2e/kWh or ~2 kg CO2e/m³
• Heating Oil: ~2.8 kg CO2e/litre
• Diet (Annual): High Meat ~3.5t, Med Meat ~2.5t, Low Meat ~2.0t, Vegetarian ~1.7t, Vegan ~1.5t CO2e
• Waste (Annual): Above Avg ~0.8t, Avg ~0.6t, Below Avg ~0.4t, Minimal ~0.2t CO2e

Source: Placeholder values based on general ranges. **Accurate, referenced data (e.g., NZ Ministry for the Environment, DEFRA, EPA, IPCC) should be used.** Specify the year of the data.

Tips for Reducing Your Footprint

• Transport: Drive less, walk/cycle more, use public transport, choose fuel-efficient or electric vehicles, fly less or offset flights.
• Home Energy: Improve insulation, switch to energy-efficient appliances (LEDs), reduce heating/cooling needs, switch to a renewable energy provider if possible.
• Diet: Reduce consumption of red meat and dairy, eat local and seasonal food, reduce food waste.
• Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Compost food scraps. Avoid single-use plastics and unnecessary purchases.