CARBON FOOTPRINT (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The steel ministry plans to write to all major steel companies with export interests to assess their preparedness for reducing their carbon footprint and for facing the green challenges emerging in global markets.

Carbon Footprint

• About: It is the amount of greenhouse gases—especially carbon dioxide—released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity.
• WHO Definition: A carbon footprint as a measure of the impact of human activities on the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels.
• Quantification: It is quantified in terms of the weight of CO2 emissions produced, measured in tonnes.
• Measurement: Carbon footprint is measured in terms of the weight of CO2 emissions produced, quantified in tonnes. 
• Direct and Indirect Emissions: Carbon footprint includes direct emissions, such as from driving a car, as well as indirect emissions required to consume any goods and services.
• Types of Carbon Footprints

oOrganizational Carbon Footprint: This includes emissions from all activities across an organization, encompassing energy use, industrial processes, and company vehicles.

oProduct Carbon Footprint: This involves emissions throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service, from the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing to its use, final reuse, recycling, or disposal.

Difference from Ecological Footprint

• Carbon footprint is different from ecological footprint. While the carbon footprint measures the emission of gases that contribute to global warming, the ecological footprint focuses on measuring the use of bio-productive space.