Carbon Footprint Calculators
There are many versions of carbon footprint calculators available. They can be useful to help understand not only what the carbon footprint of individuals, households and companies is but how, by changing certain behaviours, your footprint can be reduced.
There are links to 3 different calculators below. In our opinion each has its merits and drawbacks. We offer comments on each: these comments, approved by members of the Mary Tavy Climate Emergency Working Group, should not be construed as representing the views of climate experts
World Wildlife Fund Calculator
This calculator is the simplest of the 3 presented here. It requires minimal inputs and as such is the easiest to use but you aren’t able to specify exactly how much oil, gas or electricity you use, how many miles per year you drive, etc.
https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/questionnaire
The calculator can also be found on the Devon County Council website via this page: https://www.devon.gov.uk/energyandclimatechange/calculating-your-carbon-footprint
Carbon Independent Calculator
This calculator is a little more complex than the WWF one. You are able to enter the amount of electricity, gas and oil you use as well as the number of miles you drive each year (but there is no provision for specifying whether you drive an electric, hybrid, petrol or diesel vehicle). The output is slightly confusing as your result is compared with an average figure for UK carbon emissions of 14.1 tonnes/year while the acknowledged value is thought to be around 10 and 10.5 tonnes/year (the figure of 14.1 is claimed to include other greenhouse gasses in addition to carbon dioxide). So, if you run the calculator, it would probably be best to compare your result with a “typical” value of 10.0 – 10.5 rather than 14.1.
https://www.carbonindependent.org/
Carbon Footprint Calculator.org
This calculator is the most complex of the 3 presented here with quite a lot of information required. The result is compared with a “typical” value for a person in the UK of only 6.5 tonnes/year which is somewhat lower than most estimates (10.0 to 10.5 tonnes / year). There is no provision for selecting a hybrid or electric vehicle.
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx