Frequently Asked Questions

Learn about the key concepts behind carbon footprinting, climate impact, and the science that powers CarbonGuru.

What Is a Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of an activity, product, service, or lifestyle. It is measured in kilograms or tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, written as kg CO₂e. The “equivalent” part matters because it accounts for other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide, converted to the warming impact of CO₂.

What Is Carbon Offsetting?

Carbon offsetting means paying for projects that reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions somewhere else in the world. The idea is straightforward: if you cannot eliminate your own emissions entirely — whether as an individual, a business, or an organization — you can fund reductions elsewhere to balance out what you produce.

What Is a Carbon Credit?

A carbon credit is a certificate representing the reduction or removal of one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere. When a project prevents emissions — say, by replacing a coal plant with a wind farm — it can generate credits equal to the tonnes avoided.

Why Does Emissions Reporting Exist?

Organizations measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions so they can manage them. Without a clear accounting of where emissions come from, there is no way to set reduction targets or track progress. Governments, investors, customers, and business partners increasingly expect this transparency.

What Is the Difference Between Offsetting and Removal?

Carbon offsetting prevents emissions that would have happened — for example, by funding a wind farm instead of a coal plant. Carbon removal goes a step further: it actively pulls CO₂ that is already in the atmosphere back out. Both matter, but removal addresses the carbon that has been accumulating for over a century.

What Does Climate Impact Mean in Dollar Terms?

Every tonne of CO₂ released into the atmosphere causes real economic damage — more intense storms, lower crop yields, higher healthcare costs, reduced worker productivity, and rising sea levels. Climate impact translates these consequences into a dollar figure so that the true cost of emissions becomes concrete rather than abstract.

What Is Life Cycle Assessment?

Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, is a method for measuring the total environmental impact of a product, service, or process from beginning to end — often described as cradle to grave. It tracks resource use, energy consumption, emissions, and waste across every stage.

What Do Environmental and Economic Climate Models Do?

Environmental and economic models for climate attempt to predict what happens — in both physical and financial terms — when greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere. They connect the science of warming temperatures to the economics of damage, helping answer questions about the real cost of continued emissions.