Carbon Footprint

1. EVS PROJECT
AKHILESH KAUSHIK VALLURI
2020B5AA0960H

2. What is carbon footprint?
◦ THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES RELEASED BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION
◦ THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD IS BELIEVED TO GENERATE 50 TONS OF CO2 EACH YEAR
◦ TO CAUSE A DECREASE OF 2°C IN GLOBAL TEMPERATURE, EACH PERSON WOULD HAVE TO DECREASE CARBON CONSUMPTION
BY 2 TONS
◦ GREENHOUSE GASES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
CO2
METHANE
CFC

3. Calculation of Carbon Footprint
A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS EXIST FOR CALCULATING THE CARBON FOOTPRINTS FOR INDIVIDUALS,
BUSINESSES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. COMMONLY USED METHODOLOGIES FOR CALCULATING
ORGANIZATIONAL CARBON FOOTPRINTS INCLUDE THE GREENHOUSE GAS PROTOCOL(EXAMPLE COVERED IN
NEXT SLIDE), FROM THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE AND THE WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT, AND ISO 14064, A STANDARD DEVELOPED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
STANDARDIZATION DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
SEVERAL ORGANISATIONS CREATED CARBON CALCULATORS ON THE INTERNET FOR INDIVIDUALS. SUCH CALCULATORS ALLOW PEOPLE
TO COMPARE THEIR OWN ESTIMATED CARBON FOOTPRINTS WITH THE NATIONAL AND WORLD AVERAGES.

4. Green House Gas Protocol
◦ GHG Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardized frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private
and public sector operations, value chains and mitigation actions.
◦ The calculations tools are electronic Excel spreadsheets with accompanying step-by-step guidance documents. A guidance document includes:
• An overview of the protocol with information on the sector, sources, and process(es) that it covers;
• One or more approaches for determining CO2 and other GHG emissions, e.g., direct measurement, mass balance, etc.;
• Guidance on collecting activity data and selecting appropriate emission factors;
• Likely emissions sources and the scopes they fall under (specific to a particular sector);
• Additional information, such as quality control practices and program specific information.
◦ The spreadsheets help carry out any necessary emissions calculations.

5. Current state of climate change?
WE HAVE BEEN SEEING A GENERAL DECREASE IN
CARBON EMISSSIONS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AS
PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE AWARE
THE LARGEST INCREASE IN CO2 EMISSIONS
HAPPENED DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
BETWEEN 1950-1970 THE CO2 EMISSIONS
INCREASED BY 5000%
AS THE RATE OF EXTINCTION OF SPECIES INCREASES,
SCIENCTISTS BELIEVE THAT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE
TOO LATE TO MAKE A CHANGE S

6. Carbon Tax?
◦ SOME COUNTRIES ARE PROPOSING THE INTRODUCTION OF A CARBON TAX.
◦ A CARBON TAX, SIMILAR TO A NORMAL TAX, WILL BE A TAX IMPOSED ON THE EARNINGS OF THE CITIZENS PROPORTIONAL TO
THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT
◦ THIS MEANS THAT DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF CO2 THAT SOMEONE IS RELEASING INTO THE AIR THE PERSON WILL
HAVE TO PAY EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF MONEY
◦ SOME ECONOMISTS BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL, RATHER COUNTERINTUITIVELY, INCREASE THE RELEASE OF CO2 WHILE
DESTROYING A COUNTRIES ECONOMY

7. Biggest contributors to carbon footprint
◦ STUDIES SHOW THAT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL THE PART OF OUR LIFESTYLES WHICH INREASES CARBON FOOTPRINT THE MOST
IS MEAT
◦ LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY FARMS GENERATE THE MOST AMOUNT OF METHANE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER CLASSIFICATION
OF FACTORY
◦ THESE FARMS CONTRIBUTE TO 14.5% OF THE GLOBAL CARBON EMISSIONS
◦ HOWEVER, THE OVERALL HIGHEST CONTRIBUTOR TO GLOBAL CARBON FOOTPRINT IS TRANSPORTATION
◦ TRANPORTATION CONTRIBUTES A TOTAL OF 30% OF THE GLOBAL EMISSIONS