Carbon Footprint Calculator

Estimate your yearly carbon footprint from driving, home electricity use, and flights.

Carbon Footprint Calculator

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Miles driven per year

Electricity use (kWh/month)

Round-trip flights per year

Estimated yearly CO2

11.18 metric tons

From driving

4,848 kg

From electricity

4,536 kg

From flights

1,800 kg

Uses average emission factors - your actual footprint depends on your car's efficiency, local electricity grid, and flight distances.

The formula

Driving CO2 = Miles/year x 0.404 kg CO2 per mile (average car) Electricity CO2 = kWh/month x 12 x 0.42 kg CO2 per kWh (average US grid) Flight CO2 = Round-trip flights x 900 kg CO2 (average domestic round-trip)

Example

12,000 miles/year, 900 kWh/month, 2 flights: driving = 4,848 kg, electricity = 4,536 kg, flights = 1,800 kg, total ≈ 11.2 metric tons CO2/year.

Step-by-step guide

Enter your annual miles driven (check your odometer or estimate from your commute).
Enter your average monthly electricity use in kWh (found on a utility bill).
Enter round-trip flights taken per year.

Why this is an estimate, not a precise measurement

A true carbon footprint depends on details this calculator doesn't capture - your specific vehicle's fuel efficiency, whether your local electricity grid relies more on coal or renewables, flight distance and cabin class, diet, and consumption habits all shift the real number meaningfully. The averages used here (a typical gasoline car, the US average electricity grid mix, and a typical domestic round-trip flight) give a reasonable starting estimate for these three major categories, but a comprehensive footprint would also account for food, goods purchased, and other services.

Common mistakes

Treating this as a complete footprint - it covers driving, home electricity, and flights specifically, not food, goods, or other services that also contribute meaningfully to a full footprint.

Using a household's total electricity bill in dollars instead of the actual kWh usage - check your bill for the usage figure specifically, since rates per kWh vary by location.

Frequently asked questions

Why does electricity have a carbon footprint at all?

It depends on how that electricity was generated - a grid powered heavily by coal or natural gas produces far more CO2 per kWh than one powered by nuclear, hydro, wind, or solar. The average used here reflects a typical mixed grid.

Does an electric vehicle have zero footprint here?

Not with this calculator as built - it applies the gasoline car factor to miles driven. If you drive an EV, your driving emissions are already captured more accurately through your electricity usage instead, so consider leaving the miles field at 0 and relying on your electricity figure.

What's considered a "good" carbon footprint?

There's no single universal target, but many climate researchers point to a few tons per person per year as a long-term goal consistent with limiting warming - most people in high-income countries are currently well above that from these categories alone.

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