Carbon footprint
- Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event
- Obtaining precise measurements of a carbon footprint is challenging, but the act of assessment raises awareness of climate change impacts and encourages individuals and policymakers to look for alternatives or ways of reducing carbon footprints
- One way or measuring a carbon footprint is by completing a life cycle assessment (LCA)
- A life cycle assessment technique used to assess the environmental impact associated with all the stages in the life cycle of a product, a service or an event
- This could be something like a personal computer, a car, or a wedding
- An LCA will consider activities such as the extraction of a raw material, how a product is manufactured and distributed and finally how it is disposed of at the end of its useful life