Carbon Footprint Calculator: What's My Carbon Footprint?

Inevitably, in going about our daily lives—commuting, sheltering our families, eating—each of us contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. Yet, there are many things each of us, as individuals, can do to reduce our carbon emissions. The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a stable climate for future generations.

Use The Nature Conservancy's carbon footprint calculator to measure your impact on our climate. Our carbon footprint calculator estimates how many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your choices create each year.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the primary greenhouse gas in our atmosphere. This means that the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere directly influences how much of the sun's heat stays in the atmosphere, which is a key factor in climate change. One ton of carbon dioxide is released when you travel 5,000 miles in an airplane, drive 2,500 miles in a medium-sized car, or cut down and burn a tree that was about one foot in diameter and 40 feet tall. There are other greenhouse gases as well, such as methane and nitrous oxide. This carbon footprint calculator includes these gases in your results and reports them in a standardized measure called "tons of CO₂ equivalent."

To get started, select the number of people in your home. Then choose whether you want to calculate a carbon footprint for yourself or for your household.

There are [BUTTON] people in my household.