A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (the cause of climate change) that are generated by what we do. The carbon footprint will differ among individuals depending on their location, behaviour, and personal choices. Differences in carbon footprint between two people could come from, for example:

• The way they travel - there are no emissions when riding a bike, but a bus will have some associated emissions.
• Their location – a person using electricity in Tasmania (mostly from hydroelectric plants) will have lower emissions than someone living in Victoria (where much of the electricity is produced from coal).
• Their diet - vegetables have lower embodied emissions (emissions from production) than meat, although vegetables brought from overseas would have more emissions associated with their transport than meat produced locally.

When calculating a carbon footprint, it is important to include both direct and indirect emissions. For example, driving a non-electric car produces direct emissions from the use of fuel by the car, while using a computer produces indirect emissions from the use of electricity generated at a power station that uses fossil fuel. Similarly, a piece of paper or an apple (or anything we buy/consume) will likely have associated indirect emissions from the production and transport of the product.

Calculating your carbon footprint can be challenging but there are several online calculators that may help you to calculate emissions from various sources. Some examples are the Carbon Footprint Calculator For Individuals And Households or the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator.

Climate change is a global problem requiring action by many people, organisations, and countries around the world. Every action count and we are all responsible. So, although ideally all countries will work towards achieving net zero emissions, even one country achieving that goal will help to mitigate the issue.  

Those countries like Australia that have more capacity to take climate action, should show leadership in this area. This in turn will provide incentives for others to follow. Unfortunately, some national governments have argued that their contribution to the problem is too small to make a difference. But if all countries choose to let others take the burden, this will leave the global problem unaddressed. 

The good news is that we are now in a situation where the cost of taking climate change action has fallen, and the longer we wait to do so (meaning the longer we depend on fossil fuels), the more expensive it will be. At the same time, the benefits of addressing this global issue have become clearer and are indisputable (for example, lower level of air pollution, health benefits, clean water, green jobs, energy independence). As the Joel Pett cartoon says in a humorous way, “What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?”  

Carbon credits, also known as carbon offsets, are used to balance out the emissions released by someone. For example, if an organisation can’t avoid the release of 1 tonne of greenhouse gases, they can buy 1 carbon credit (equal to 1 tonne). 

Carbon credits are generated from activities that prevent greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere; reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere; or remove greenhouse gas emissions that are already in the atmosphere (also known as carbon sequestration). Some examples of offset projects are the installation of renewable energy infrastructure, conversion of waste into energy, reforestation or forest conservation. Many of these projects have additional environmental and social benefits (such as increased biodiversity or creation of local jobs). 

These activities should follow offsets integrity principles and be certified to ensure the activity is genuine. For example, offset projects should be transparent, meaning that information needs to be clear and made available to relevant stakeholders. In addition, it is essential that emissions reductions achieved are additional to reductions that would have happened in the absence of the project, and measurable so they can be quantified and there is support from clear and convincing evidence 

It is important to acknowledge that offsetting should be the last resource, after reducing emissions, when fighting climate change. This means that organisations and governments should not rely only on these projects but work towards achieving real and significant reduction of their own emissions. Nevertheless, offsets are currently an essential part of climate action. 

There are many actions being undertaken to stop or minimise the impacts of climate change. These actions involve reducing the amount of greenhouse gases (gases that trap heat) in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are released by human activities such as producing energy from fossil fuels, refrigeration or agriculture. 

The good news is that actions to mitigate climate change are happening at all levels, from individuals and communities to local, regional and national governments. Any action that reduces the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will help. This could be anything from thinking before buying and buying only what you need (instead of what you want), riding a bike to school/work instead of driving a car, having a community garden that includes composting, switching to renewable energy sources (like solar or wind) or managing forest in a way that allows for long-term capture (also known as sequestration) of carbon dioxide, one of the most common greenhouse gases. 

Many organisations and governments have now committed to climate action and have climate change plans publicly available detailing how they are contributing to preventing the climate crisis. You can influence what business do with your purchasing choices by being aware of what brands are more environmentally responsible, or you can write a letter your local, state or national government asking what they are doing to support climate action. 

The answer to this question is not straightforward as the emissions from a school (or any other organisation) depend on the size, location, and resource use for each school, among other factors. For example, a small school is likely to have lower emissions than a large one, but a large school that produces its own electricity via solar panels would likely have lower emissions than a small school using electricity from the grid.

When calculating a carbon footprint (the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released by an organisation or individual), it is important to include both direct and indirect emissions. For example, driving a car produces direct emissions from the use of fuel by the car, while using a computer produces indirect emissions from the use of electricity generated at a coal-fuelled power station. Similarly, a piece of paper has associated indirect emissions from the production and transport of the product.

More and more organisations, including schools, are measuring their emissions and developing plans to reduce these emissions. To provide an idea of the magnitude of emissions for a school, Corinda State High School in Queensland reported 1,075 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent(CO₂-e) for 2020 in their Public Disclosure Statement for their carbon neutral certification by the Commonwealth Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard. This is the equivalent of driving 488 fossil fuel burning cars for a year.

Carbon dioxide equivalent is a measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. For example, the global warming potential of methane (a greenhouse gas released by cattle or decomposing waste in landfills) is 25 times higher than carbon dioxide, therefore 1 tonne of methane would equal 25 tonnes of CO₂-e.

We use carbon accounting to measure or estimate the emissions produced by different emissions sources or activities, such as driving a car or using a computer. Emissions can be direct or indirect. For example, driving a car produces direct emissions from the use of fuel by the car, while using a computer produces indirect emissions from the use of electricity generated at a coal-fuelled power station. Similarly, a piece of paper has associated indirect emissions from the production and transport of the product.

Some emissions are easier to calculate than others. For example, the Australian government provides emission factors to calculate emissions from the use of fuel in vehicles or natural gas at home, as well as electricity. An emission factor is a number that allows you to convert activity data (such as volume of fuel used, or weight of waste generated) into emissions. Emission factors that are relevant to a specific country or region might not be available for all sources of emissions.

There are several online calculators that may help you to calculate emissions from various sources. Some examples are the Carbon Footprint Calculator For Individuals And Households or the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator.

ClimateClever is another app that allows both households and businesses to calculate their carbon emissions, and then suggests ways to reduce these emissions. You can see how this kind of carbon accounting app works here: