The carbon footprint or carbon balance is “a unit of measurement of the impact of human activity on climate change,” summarizes the GoodPlanet Foundation. It is expressed in kilograms of CO2 equivalent or CO2e. These are our greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore clearly play a role in climate change. And I could also tell you that living means producing carbon. But we can all try, and all actions count. Everyone can calculate their own carbon footprint based on their daily habits (tools are available online), but there is also a median profile.

Car, food, clothes… What needs to be changed?

And the results are clear. Of the 10 tons of CO2 emitted per year per French person, transport comes first. No less than two tons are associated with the car. So let's try to leave the car in the garage more often. Even an airplane, which weighs an average of 430 kg of CO2e, can be reduced. We can also act on the food side: meat accounts for almost a ton and drinks for half a ton. It will come as no surprise that gas and heating oil account for more than a ton. Controlling your energy regime is therefore a priority. Leisure, household, clothing, fish consumption… also have an impact and deserve consideration before making a purchase. (Anne-Claire Guilain)