The carbon footprint, a first step towards action
Calculate your carbon footprint in just a few minutes and discover the most effective ways of reducing your greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint measures the total quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by our activities over one year.
Since the last century, the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has been rising, causing serious upheavals in the climate: rising sea levels, destruction of living organisms, rising temperatures, and so on.
The scientific consensus is clear: this increase is directly linked to human activities. It's time to reduce or replace these emitting activities!
Calculate your carbon footprint
The carbon calculator enables us to understand which of our uses contribute most to climate change and to identify the actions that would have the greatest impact in reducing it.
Your modes of transport
Your diet
Your energy consumption
Your purchases
Did you know?
The average French person's carbon footprint is 9 tonnes of CO2e per year. The target for 2050 is 2 tonnes!
What about yours?
Actions to reduce your carbon footprint
For a more sustainable lifestyle, some actions have a greater impact than others. By making these actions part of your daily routine, you can significantly reduce your Co2 emissions. Here are a few ideas:
- Use public transport whenever possible
- Avoid air travel
- Favouring soft mobility
Understanding for action
To reduce your environmental footprint effectively, you need to be informed about the challenges of global warming, be inspired by good practice and take action.
Accelerating the ecological transition
We urgently need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and make the transition to a low-carbon lifestyle. Individuals and organisations, it's time to act: measuring your carbon footprint is the first step!
Take the test
Assess your ecological footprint (carbon and water) to identify the main levers for action.
Day-to-day action
Find out which actions have the biggest impact on reducing your carbon footprint.
Making a collective commitment
Challenges between friends or the distribution of tools within the company can mobilise your entourage.
FAQ
Your questions about carbon footprint
What is carbon and why is it important?
Carbon is a chemical element necessary for life on Earth. It is found in plants, in the soil, in the oceans and in the atmosphere, mainly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2e).
Carbon, CO2e, is the main greenhouse gas, but there are others: methane and nitrous oxide, for example. That's why we talk about "carbon equivalents".
These emissions are disrupting the climate, contributing to global warming and its devastating consequences: rising sea levels, an increase in the number of natural disasters and the extinction of part of the living world.
How do you define a carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint is the total quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted directly and indirectly by a person's activities over the course of a year.
Carbon dioxide, CO2, is the main greenhouse gas, but there are others: methane and nitrous oxide, for example. That's why we talk about "carbon equivalents".
These emissions come from a variety of human activities, including transport, food, housing, everyday consumption of goods and services, industrial production and public services.
By quantifying all these emissions, the carbon footprint makes it possible to measure the impact on the climate and to implement strategies to reduce these emissions.
How do you calculate your carbon footprint?
Calculating our carbon footprint involves adding up all the greenhouse gases emitted by our daily activities, taking into account a number of factors such as travel, food, housing and the consumption of goods and services.
The Nos Gestes Climat online simulator allows you to estimate your ecological footprint, both your carbon footprint and your water footprint, in less than 10 minutes.
These two indicators give you a better understanding of the environmental impact of your choices, so that you can act more responsibly.
A carbon footprint is not a carbon balance. Although they both measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they are not calculated in the same way and do not have the same objective.
The carbon footprint covers an individual's direct and indirect emissions over the course of a year. The carbon footprint, on the other hand, is an accounting tool used by organisations (companies, local authorities) to quantify their emissions over a given period and draw up a reduction plan.
The carbon footprint methodology was developed by ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency).
What are the main sources of CO2e emissions?
Greenhouse gas emissions come from various sectors of human activity. The main sources are :
- énergie et production industrielle : la combustion d’énergies fossiles (charbon, pétrole, gaz naturel) pour produire de l’électricité mais aussi pour alimenter les industries est la première cause d’émissions de CO₂ dans le monde ;
- transports : voitures, camions, avions et navires rejettent massivement du CO2 en brûlant des carburants fossiles. La demande croissante de mobilité (voyages et transport de marchandises) accentue ces émissions ;
- agriculture et élevage : les pratiques agricoles intensives et l’élevage, en particulier la production de viande et les rejets de méthane des ruminants, contribuent fortement aux gaz à effet de serre, avec un impact significatif sur le changement climatique. L’usage de fertilisants et la déforestation pour l’extension des terres agricoles contribuent également à ces émissions ;
- logement et consommation énergétique : le chauffage (et dans une moindre mesure, la climatisation) est le poste le plus important de consommation énergétique du logement, donc d’émission de GES. Il faut également y ajouter les consommations des appareils électroménagers ;
- production de biens et consommation croissante : la fabrication de biens (électronique, vêtements, équipements, loisirs) à travers le monde génère des émissions à chaque étape : extraction des matières premières, production, transport, distribution et élimination. Ces processus contribuent fortement à l’empreinte carbone globale en raison d’une demande toujours croissante.
What is the average carbon footprint of a French person and that of France as a whole?
The average carbon footprint of a French person is around 9 tonnes of CO2e per year, well above the target of 2 tonnes per person per year by 2050 recommended by the United Nations to limit climate change.
France's carbon footprint amounts to 623 million tonnes of CO2e per year, according to figures from the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
At national level, France has set itself the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, which means drastically reducing emissions in all sectors.
Which countries emit the most greenhouse gases?
China and the United States are the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, due to their heavy reliance on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), their energy-intensive industries and the rapid growth of their transport and manufacturing sectors.
France accounts for around 1% of global emissions, but a major part of its impact is indirect, linked to imports of products manufactured on a massive scale abroad.