CO₂ Emissions Calculator
Calculate CO2 emissions from various sources including vehicles, flights, and industrial activities
CO₂ Emissions
Equivalent
Trees Needed
Relative to Global Average
Emission Breakdown
| Factor | Value |
|---|
Understanding CO₂ Emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. In 2022, CO₂ accounted for about 75% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The average person worldwide generates approximately 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ per year, while the average in the United States is about 14.9 tonnes per person. Understanding your individual contributions helps identify where reductions can have the greatest impact.
Key Emission Sources
- Transportation (16%): Cars, trucks, planes, and ships burning fossil fuels
- Electricity & Heat (25%): Power generation from coal, natural gas, and oil
- Industry (21%): Manufacturing, cement, steel, and chemical production
- Agriculture & Land Use (22%): Livestock, deforestation, and soil management
- Buildings (6%): Direct emissions from heating, cooling, and cooking
Common CO₂ Emission Factors
Vehicles
- • Gasoline car: ~0.21 kg CO₂/km
- • Diesel car: ~0.17 kg CO₂/km
- • Hybrid car: ~0.11 kg CO₂/km
- • Electric car (US grid): ~0.05 kg CO₂/km
Flights
- • Short-haul economy: ~0.156 kg CO₂/km
- • Long-haul economy: ~0.115 kg CO₂/km
- • Business class: 2-3x economy
- • First class: 3-4x economy
Home Energy
- • Electricity (US avg.): ~0.417 kg CO₂/kWh
- • Natural gas: ~2.04 kg CO₂/m³
- • Heating oil: ~2.68 kg CO₂/liter
- • Propane: ~1.54 kg CO₂/liter
Public Transport
- • Bus: ~0.089 kg CO₂/passenger-km
- • Train (intercity): ~0.041 kg CO₂/passenger-km
- • Subway/Metro: ~0.031 kg CO₂/passenger-km
- • Tram/Light rail: ~0.035 kg CO₂/passenger-km
How to Reduce Your CO₂ Emissions
Small changes in daily habits can lead to meaningful reductions in your carbon footprint. Here are some of the most impactful actions you can take:
- Switch to renewable energy sources for home electricity
- Use public transportation, cycling, or walking instead of driving
- Reduce air travel and choose economy class when flying
- Improve home insulation to reduce heating and cooling energy
- Choose energy-efficient appliances (look for Energy Star ratings)
- Adopt a plant-rich diet, as livestock production generates significant emissions
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle to lower waste-related emissions
References
The emission factors and data used in this calculator are based on peer-reviewed research and official government sources:
- U.S. EPA - Overview of Greenhouse Gases
- U.S. EPA - GHG Emission Factors Hub
- IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Mitigation of Climate Change (AR6 WG3)
- International Energy Agency (IEA) - CO₂ Emissions Report
- Our World in Data - CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- UK DEFRA - Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors 2023
Note: This calculator provides estimates based on average emission factors from reputable sources. Actual emissions vary based on vehicle efficiency, occupancy rates, local electricity grid mix, altitude, weather, and other factors. For aviation, a radiative forcing index (RFI) multiplier of 1.9 is applied to account for non-CO₂ effects at altitude, following IPCC and UK DEFRA methodology.
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