Carbon Footprint Calculator
Estimate your annual carbon footprint from driving, electricity, flights, and diet, with offset recommendations.
Results
What is it?
The Carbon Footprint Calculator estimates how many metric tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases you emit each year from your four biggest personal sources: driving a car, home electricity use, air travel, and diet. It also tells you roughly how many trees would need to be planted to offset that output annually (each mature tree absorbs about 21 kg CO2/year).
How to use
Enter your annual car mileage and fuel economy. Enter your monthly electricity usage (from your utility bill). Select your approximate flight frequency and diet type. The calculator outputs your total footprint in metric tons CO2e per year, broken down by source, plus a tree-offset estimate.
Example scenario
Someone drives 12,000 miles/year at 28 MPG, uses 900 kWh/month of electricity, takes 1–2 flights, and eats an average omnivore diet. Result: roughly 12–14 metric tons CO2e/year — well above the global average of 4.8 tons but near the US average of approximately 16 tons.
Pro tip
Focus on reduction before offset. The highest-impact personal actions are: (1) going car-free or switching to an EV, (2) shifting to renewable electricity, (3) reducing flights (especially long-haul), and (4) reducing red meat consumption. The Paris Agreement calls for per-capita emissions below 2 tons by 2050. Carbon offsets (tree planting, renewable energy credits) are useful supplements but should not replace behavioral change.