Our Carbon Footprints

A carbon footprint is a representation of the effect an individual or an organization has on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide).

Footprinting is now widely used around the globe as an indicator of environmental sustainability. It can be used to measure and manage the use of resources throughout the economy. It is also commonly used to explore the sustainability of individual lifestyles, goods and services, organizations, industry sectors, neighborhoods, cities, regions and nations.

Carbon Calculators

Sierra Gorda Carbon Offsets use a calculator called SafeClimate (© SafeClimate.net all rights reserved) developed by the World Resources Institute.

NOTE: World Resources Institute and the Global Footprint Network have allowed GESG to use their carbon and ecological footprint calculators, but in doing so are not necessarily endorsing Sierra Gorda Carbon and Environmental Offsets.

This calculates the carbon dioxide footprint for individuals based on the two areas of energy use that make up the majority of most individuals' carbon dioxide emissions which are home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane. It bases the calculations on data available at the website of the GHG protocol initiative.

SafeClimate for Business has also developed guidance and tools to assist companies and organizations in measuring GHG emissions. SafeClimate for Business is a joint project of the Sustainable Enterprise Program, World Resources Institute and Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB), a division of Conservation International.

If you are interested in learning more about SafeClimate, please visit http://www.safeclimate.net.

For individuals who do not have the time or information necessary to calculate their carbon footprint, they can use standard offsets to offset some or all of their carbon footprint based on national estimates for carbon emissions.