What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases — such as carbon dioxide and methane — released into the atmosphere as a result of our everyday choices: how we travel, power our homes, eat and shop.

Globally, the average footprint is around 4 tonnes of CO₂ per person each year, though this varies enormously between countries. To keep global warming within safer limits, the average needs to fall well below 2 tonnes per person by 2050.

Getting there doesn't happen overnight. Small, consistent changes — using cleaner energy, eating more plant-based meals, flying less and cutting waste — add up to a big difference.