“Carbon footprint” is a term that you have probably heard a lot recently. Ever seen an ad encouraging members of the public to cut down on their carbon footprint? Heard of a large corporation talking about reducing their carbon footprint?
In recognition of the upcoming Earth Hour, we will be unpacking carbon footprint, why they matter and what we can do about ours.
What exactly is a carbon footprint?
Carbon footprint can be measured for individuals, organisations and even particular products or events.
Essentially, a carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, like methane and carbon dioxide, that your everyday activities generate and release into the atmosphere.
Your carbon footprint can look like:
- Food
- Clothes we use
- Fuel for our vehicles
- Energy consumption of our home
Altogether, these everyday activities produce carbon emissions that impact the environment, both directly and indirectly.
How to calculate your carbon footprint
Each person’s carbon footprint varies depending on their location and lifestyle.
The global average carbon footprint is around four (4) tonnes, but some countries like the United States can record up to 16 tonnes per person.
A personal carbon footprint is typically calculated based on three sets of data over a period of 12 months:
- Your household electricity consumption (kilowatt hours - kWh)
- The fuel consumption of your vehicles (liters - L)
- The total amount of waste that you dispose of (kilograms – kg)
There are also many tools available online to help you calculate your individual or household carbon footprint, this resource by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC).
Why does my carbon footprint matter?
.jpg)
Expanding carbon footprint around the world mean that there is an excess of carbon dioxide, a gas that traps heat, preventing it from escaping our atmosphere in the atmosphere, disrupting the healthy balance of gases on Earth.
Much of this excess carbon dioxide comes from human activities, like burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests.
“But only large companies do those things”, you might be thinking. The reality is that individual human actions also add up and have a big impact on the planet.
Households are globally responsible for two-thirds of all direct and indirect emissions. Wondering what they mean? Here’s how consumers contribute to the global greenhouse gas emissions in the form of Scope 1, 2 and 3:
Scope 1: Direct emissions: Your controlled activities
"Direct emissions" for consumers, refer to the greenhouse gas emissions that are directly produced by your own activities that control and use within your household.
For the individual, this includes:
- Driving a car; gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles
- Heating of the home by using natural gas or heating oil.
- Using household appliances that burn fossil fuels such as a gas stove.
These are emissions you directly from your everyday actions.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions: From your energy consumption
Scope 2 are emissions come from the energy you consume that are produced by external sources, but you are still responsible for their impact.
For the individual, this includes:
- Electricity consumption: Lighting, household appliances and air conditioning.
- Cooling systems that run on electricity:
a. Fans & air conditioning units: Cools your home by consuming electricity and increasing emissions, especially during peak usage.
b. Dehumidifiers: Common in humid areas but require power to function.
While you are not producing the emissions, your energy use drives them.
Scope 3: Indirect emissions: From your choices
Scope 3 are the hardest to measure but represent a big part of your carbon footprint as they are emissions from activities you do not directly control but are related to your purchasing choices and lifestyle.
For the average consumer, this can look like:
- Food Consumption: Emissions generated from farming, processing, packaging and transporting food, as well as methane emissions from food waste in landfills.
- Travel & Transportation: Emissions from air travel, personal vehicle use, public transportation and the supply chain emissions of goods transported to stores.
- Waste Disposal: Greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, incineration, and recycling processes, including methane release from decomposing organic waste.
- Goods & Services Carbon footprint of raw material extraction, production, packaging, shipping, and end-of-life disposal for items like clothing, electronics, and household products.
From what you eat to what you purchase, these emissions contribute to Scope 3 emissions.
In short, your carbon footprint includes the following:
- Scope 1: Emissions from directly controlled actions like driving your car or using gas for cooking.
- Scope 2: Emissions from your energy consumption (like electricity).
- Scope 3: Emissions from activities from your purchasing choices and lifestyle - like food, travel and products you buy.
By making smarter choices and considering sustainable alternatives, you can reduce your carbon footprint. Here are ways on how you can walk lightly on Earth.
Ways to walk lightly on Earth
.jpg)
Cutting down on your carbon footprint does not require huge sacrifices. There are plenty of small habits that you can try incorporating into your lifestyle that can help to reduce your scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Reduce Scope 1 emissions by:
- Transportation: Use public transport, carpooling, or electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce emissions.
- Heating & Cooking: Switch to electric heat pumps for greater efficiency and at least 20% lower emissions than gas furnaces.
- Water Heating: Replace gas water heaters with solar water heaters to cut carbon emissions.
Reduce Scope 2 emissions by:
- Energy Efficiency Practices: Use energy-efficient appliances and lighting to reduce electricity consumption. In Malaysia, the Energy Commission provides guidelines on energy efficiency labelling to help consumers choose compliant products.
- Reduce Energy Use: Switch off air conditioning and lights when not in use.
- Energy Storage: Consider clean energy solutions that come with solar energy and battery energy storage solutions (BESS). At Sunview, we provide home solar solutions that be customised with BESS solutions for better energy efficiency. Learn more about making your home more energy efficient with solar and BESS here.
Reduce Scope 3 emissions by:
- Sustainable diet: Eat more locally produced and plant-based foods to reduce food waste. Learn more about starting sustainable eating habits in our previous article here.
- Lower use of packaging: Use less plastic and buy products with less packaging.
- Make sustainable purchases: Select eco-friendly, locally sourced products, supporting brands with ethical supply chains and prioritizing reusable or recyclable items.
Start Reducing Your Carbon Footprint With Solar
One significant way you can reduce your household’s carbon emissions is by installing solar photovoltaic (PV) system for your home. A solar PV system plays a key role in cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and can even save you up to 90% off on your monthly electricity bills.
If you are looking to resolve your high electricity bills, take control of your home energy bills when you connect with us here today!
Conclusion
Reducing your carbon footprint in Malaysia involves being mindful of what you buy, use, the energy you consume and how your purchasing choices impact the environment. By making small adjustments in our everyday life, our choices can create a big difference for our planet.
As everyday consumers, we can start by factoring from direct and indirect purchases to indirect emissions that are indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain.
To take the next step forward towards reducing your household’s carbon emissions, contact us here today!
Sources:
