The damage caused to the environment by emissions occurring in the world can be measured with the carbon footprint. When the greenhouse gases released as a result of the vital activities of people around the world are collected, the carbon footprint result is obtained. The measurement of this concept is carried out in terms of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂).

In combating the climate crisis, there is first a need to reduce the carbon footprint. In this context, it is necessary to first determine the events that increase the carbon footprint and accordingly create a guide at which points precautions should be taken.

There are many different factors that cause the carbon footprint to increase. Since these events are sometimes individual and sometimes institutional, they are divided into two different parts. However, at this point, the carbon footprint must first be understood more clearly.

Carbon footprint is the measurement of greenhouse gases, in the form of carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere after the activities of individuals, countries or institutions. This measurement is generally expressed in tons. Measurement for carbon footprint is carried out in two ways: primary and secondary.

• Primary (direct) carbon footprint emerges from the consumption of fossil fuels in terms of the activities of individuals or institutions. For example, emissions occur when fossil fuels are used for heating or travel.
• Secondary (indirect) carbon footprint refers to the emissions encountered during the total life cycle of products used in daily life. In other words, these are emissions at every point, from the production of a consumed product to the supply chain.

When performing carbon footprint calculations, two types of processes are performed specifically for individuals or institutions.

• When calculating individual carbon footprints, individual variables such as transportation, energy use or product consumption are considered. As Greenlife Consultancy, for people who want to calculate their individual carbon footprint and create a balance, fast and accurate results can be obtained when emission-causing activities are entered into the program, thanks to professional software.
• Climate change, a global problem, is taken into consideration when making corporate carbon footprint calculations. Climate change poses risks that particularly concern the business world. Companies must calculate their environmental impacts within the corporate framework to make all business processes efficient. In this way, they can always be ready against changing dynamics and risks.

When performing special carbon footprint calculations for companies, direct emissions such as heating and transportation, as well as indirect emissions resulting from industrial processes, are considered. In this way, the emissions produced by institutions can be measured clearly.

Why Does Carbon Footprint Increase?

As a result of the increase in carbon footprint, global warming occurs that endangers natural life. Thanks to the carbon footprint, calculations for emissions that cause global warming can be achieved with a comparable structure. In this way, the increases can be evaluated within the framework of the environmental impact they create.

The increase in greenhouse gas levels is caused by the use of fossil fuels in many areas such as heating, animal husbandry, agriculture, electricity production and transportation. In addition to the use of fossil fuels, events such as lack of proper waste management, incorrect land use and improper use of natural resources have a great impact on the environmental impact. Among the events that increase the carbon footprint, there are many events within the individual or institutional framework.

Individual Events That Cause an Increase in Carbon Footprint

Events that increase individual carbon footprints generally occur due to consumption habits and individual behaviors that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

• When fossil fuels such as oil, gas and diesel are used in personal vehicle use, it causes direct carbon emissions from transportation. In this context, personal vehicle use is the cause of a significant increase in carbon footprint. Road transportation activities account for 15% of total global carbon dioxide emissions. Even though commercial activities are included in this ratio, the carbon footprint still increases when individual vehicles are preferred instead of public transportation.
• When it comes to heating using fuel, when fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas are used directly, carbon emissions also occur directly. In this case, while the carbon footprint increases, emission due to heating reaches a higher point, especially if there is insufficient insulation in houses. Instead of using fossil fuels for heating in home life, the use of solar energy can be considered as an alternative. In this way, clean heating will be possible while using renewable resources in homes, because the air pollution problem also arises due to heating-related emissions.
• While electricity consumption is carried out individually in homes and workplaces, fossil fuels are generally used to provide electricity at many points such as lighting or heating. However, if renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or hydroelectricity for electricity generation become widespread, the increase in carbon footprint can be prevented. When total global carbon dioxide emissions are examined, it is seen that 11% of them occur due to electricity consumption in homes. Therefore, individual carbon footprint can be reduced by ensuring energy efficiency and turning off electrical appliances that are not in use.
• Many points within the framework of food consumption habits have significant effects on carbon footprint. Emissions that occur especially during the production and supply stages of consumed products have different structures. Food consumption is indirectly included in carbon footprint calculations. At this point, consuming too much of products that have a high environmental impact causes an increase in the individual carbon footprint.
• Since product preferences emerge based on consumption habits at the point of clothing usage, there is a significant impact on the individual carbon footprint. Today, the clothing industry has a share of between 3% and 10% in total global carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. Individually buying more clothes/shoes than necessary is seen as a reason for having a greater impact on the environment. For this reason, the use of second-hand clothing should be made widespread and clothing products should be usable for many more years.

Corporate Events That Cause an Increase in Carbon Footprint

Within the framework of corporate events that have an impact on the carbon footprint increase, there are generally corporate activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

• The need for energy is increasing in every sector with the increase in industrialization. Compared to energy consumption in individual and urban life, industrial energy consumption accounts for 24.2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. For this reason, using renewable resources to meet energy needs in the industrial context can prevent the increase in carbon footprint.
• Agriculture and livestock activities are developing and growing more in order to provide food for the increasing population. In this case, more land is used and as livestock activities grow, more methane gas is released. These factors are among the areas that affect the environment. While more land is used for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, forests are damaged more and the atmospheric balance is disrupted. In addition, while methane gas is released during the digestion of animals, this gas creates an increase in the greenhouse gas level.
• Although transportation is also considered in individual cases, it is actually seen more intensively in commercial events and causes an increase in carbon footprint because field activities such as transportation, cargo and aviation cause great damage to the environment in terms of carbon emissions. Today, the aviation sector has a share of 2.5% in total global carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, when all international transportation operations are taken into consideration, transportation creates a huge environmental impact.
• Waste management is carried out within the corporate structure through processes such as recycling and disposal. While these processes reduce production-related emissions, they also help prevent environmental pollution. However, in case of deficiencies encountered in the processes, an increase in the corporate carbon footprint is encountered. Thanks to recycling, waste can be re-evaluated. Therefore, when an effective waste management process is carried out, it is possible to consume less raw materials in production and achieve energy savings. While less resources are used for more production, the increase in carbon footprint can be prevented by saving time and resources.