A carbon footprint calculator calculates the amount of carbon a person or an organization emits. Every person on this planet leaves a carbon footprint, no matter the type of lifestyle. The world’s first carbon footprint calculator was developed back in 2005. Today, several more calculators exist, providing humans with a way to track their carbon footprint helping in global warming.

The calculators provide micro and local data, which usefully adds to the global findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There is no doubt that calculators can track accurate footprints. However, Are carbon footprint calculators helping in global warming?

An average person from Britain emits approximately 7.01 tons of CO₂ per year into the atmosphere. Nowadays, the public is slowly becoming aware of their responsibility toward nature and to reverse its destructive impacts. Carbon footprint calculators help the public gain awareness about their contribution to climate change and help them lessen their effects on the environment. The calculators are not just meant for individuals but also for businesses, organizations and institutes. Thus, the need for carbon footprint calculators, especially in the 21^st century, is essential.

Source

Carbon footprint calculators can help organizations and individuals become more aware of their daily negative ecological actions. Thus, they can start making conscious decisions like avoiding plastic products, using public transport, switching off lights and fans when not needed, cycling or walking instead of driving, etc.

The calculators can influence industries and businesses to adopt sustainable manufacturing methods that are better for the environment. The carbon footprint of the clothing industry during the year 2018 surpassed the combined footprint of the UK, Germany, and France. Such data can influence business owners and leaders to make the required changes to limit their carbon footprint.

Carbon calculators can track two types of emissions:

• Direct emissions are those that are controlled by an individual/industry, and
• Indirect emissions are those that are the consequences of the activities of an individual/industry.

Today, several brands and businesses are developing carbon footprint trackers to monitor their emissions. This helps increase the brand’s reputation in the market, as brands that monitor and reduce their footprints are likely to attract customers. Carbon calculators may not directly help to fight global warming. Still, it has to power to motivate industries and the public to reduce their emissions, which can definitely lead to lower temperatures.