Carbon footprint and Climate

CARBON FOOTPRINT AND WHAT IT MEANS

Global warming and the resulting change in the climate is attributed to excessive gas emissions over time. To combat climate change and its consequences (such as severe storms, flooding, and heatwaves) we need to reduce gas emissions.

A carbon footprint corresponds to the whole amount of greenhouses gases or “GHGs” (including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) produced, directly and indirectly, to support a person’s lifestyle and activities. Carbon footprints are usually measured in equivalent tons of CO2(carbon dioxide), during the period of a year, and they can be associated with an individual, an organisation, a product or an event.

Most GHGs come from the production and consumption of fossil fuels, food, manufactured goods, materials, services, travel and transportation. Almost everything has an associated carbon footprint.

With a little information you can get an indication of your own carbon footprint, how it is made up and how you might reduce it.

Some carbon footprint estimation websites are:

• https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/
• https://www.carbonindependent.org/index.html
• https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Amersham Town Council declared a climate emergency in September 2021 and committed to using all reasonable endeavours to reduce any negative impact of Council services on the environment, with the goal to be carbon neutral by 2030.