Learn · the basics
A carbon footprint is just the total greenhouse gas a person, product or plant is responsible for, measured as tonnes of CO₂-equivalent. This page explains what that gas actually does, where it comes from, and what you can do about it — with two tools you can play with.
The greenhouse effect
Carbon dioxide is a tiny fraction of the air — but it lets sunlight in and slows heat from leaving. More of it means more trapped heat. Today's global average is about 427 ppm (parts per million), up from a stable 280 ppm before the industrial era. That's the whole story in two numbers.
Interactive · try it
Drag to change atmospheric CO₂ and see the approximate warming above pre-industrial levels. This is a simplified illustration using the well-known logarithmic relationship (~3 °C per doubling of CO₂) — real climate response is more complex.
Where it comes from
Roughly three-quarters of all greenhouse gas comes from energy — burning fuel for power, transport, industry and buildings. That's why energy efficiency and cleaner power do most of the heavy lifting.
Approximate global shares (WRI Climate Watch / Our World in Data). "Energy use" includes electricity & heat, transport, industry and buildings. Rounded for clarity.
The three scopes
Direct emissions from fuel burned on your own site or in your own vehicles.
Indirect emissions from the electricity, steam or heat you purchase.
Up and down your value chain — suppliers, materials, transport, product use.
Interactive · your footprint
A rough, for-awareness estimate of your yearly footprint from four everyday sources. Not an audit — just a sense of scale and where your biggest lever is.
At home & the office
Most of a building's footprint is cooling, lighting and idle equipment. None of these need a big budget.
Cooling is usually the biggest load in Indian and Gulf buildings. Each degree up cuts consumption noticeably. Clean the filters too.
LEDs use a fraction of the power of older bulbs and last far longer. Simple, immediate, cheap.
Chargers, monitors and set-top boxes draw power doing nothing. Switch off at the socket or use a smart strip.
Block direct sun with blinds or film, seal gaps around AC units and doors. Less heat in means less cooling needed.
Choose high star-rated appliances. The running-cost difference dwarfs the price difference over a few years.
Where feasible, on-site solar shaves the highest-cost daytime power and lowers your grid emissions directly.
Zone lighting and cooling to occupied areas, use daylight, and default laptops over desktops.
You can't cut what you don't see. A simple sub-meter or bill review reveals where the waste hides — the same idea ISO 50001 formalises for plants.