Carbon Foot-Printing as a means of Reducing Climate Change

By Akoji Mary

Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of carbon dioxide attributable to the actions of human activities over a period of time or accumulated over the full life cycle of a product or service. It is a measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon dioxide emission that is directly and indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product (Wiedmann and Min, 2007). This includes activities of individuals, governments, companies and organizations.

Products include goods and services while emission includes all direct (on-site internal) and indirect emissions (off-site external, embodied upstream, downstream).

The concept of carbon foot printing came about in response to the Kyoto protocol of 1997, which mandated industrialized nations (which consume the most carbon) to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% between 2008 and 2012 (UNDP 2005).

Carbon foot-printing offers a convenient means of tracking down the aspect or processes of human actions that generate the most carbon and offers alternative mitigation measures.

Carbon foot-print can be approached methodologically from two different directions. These are Process Analysis and Environmental Input (EIO) Analysis.

Reducing carbon emissions is essential to controlling global climate change. This can be accomplished by calculating the carbon footprint of countries, organization or individuals and identifying those aspects that consume the most carbon so as to either minimize or seek sustainable alternatives (through technological development or strategies). Carbon footprints can also be used to reduce carbon emissions through carbon off-setting. This involves actively promoting the reduction of carbon emissions by buying carbon credits from developing countries and using them in developed countries or involvement in activities of organizations that promote environmental awareness or carbon sequestration schemes.

Climate change has inarguably become the greatest challenge of our times. Mitigating climate change is therefore the incumbent responsibility of all and sundry. Despite the criticism to the concept of carbon foot printing, it is necessary for all individuals, organizations and governments to begin to calculate their footprints in order to create alternative actions that mitigate the global challenges of climate change.

There are on-line carbon calculators that give precise values of carbon consumptions of individuals, organization or companies and suggest alternative measures where certain aspects or processes have overstepped normal emissions limits.