- The term “carbon footprint,” coined in the late 1990s, evolved from the ecological footprint by Wackernagel and Rees to focus on carbon emissions.
- It now helps individuals, businesses, and governments track and reduce their climate impact.
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The origins of the carbon footprint concept
The term “carbon footprint” was coined in the late 1990s, building on the ecological footprint concept by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees. Initially focused on measuring humanity’s demand for natural resources, the increasing emphasis on carbon emissions eventually led to the creation of the carbon footprint term.
Also read: 5 important things to know about your Cloud Carbon Footprint
How the carbon footprint evolved
The carbon footprint evolved from the ecological footprint to focus on carbon emissions and their role in climate change. Scientists recognized the need for a clear metric to measure emissions, leading to the rise of the term.
Initially, the carbon footprint referred to the CO2 emitted by individuals, organizations, or products over their lifecycles. Today, it measures the environmental impact of everything from food to energy use.
How the carbon footprint is measured
Carbon footprint measurement calculates the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted directly and indirectly, including energy use, transportation, and waste. Carbon calculators help track emissions.
The carbon footprint is measured in scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 covers direct emissions (e.g., travel or energy generation); scope 2 includes indirect emissions (e.g., electricity); and scope 3 refers to other indirect emissions, such as those from supply chains or products.
Also read: The importance of environmental monitoring
The legacy of the carbon footprint
The carbon footprint gained prominence in the 1990s, but its roots lie in broader environmental efforts to measure resource use. Created to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, its importance continues to rise as climate change awareness grows.
