Abstract
In the last couple of years, the expression ‘carbon footprint’ has been in use among meteorologist, especially in the United Kingdom. The usage of the expression is not unconnected with the fact that the challenge of climate change has been one of the topmost issues on political as well as corporate agenda. Therefore, calculations of carbon footprint have been in high demand. Scholars have proposed so many approaches to providing estimates. The methods runs from uncomplicated online calculations to other ones like complex life-cycle examination otherwise called input-output-based technique and tools. In spite of its ever-present use, it is clear that the term ‘carbon footprint’ does not have a generally acceptable academic definition. Thus, there is a dearth of clarifications of what ‘carbon footprint’ is in the scientific literature despite the fact that there are several studies or researches on energy as well as ecological economics which should have measured what precisely ‘carbon footprint’ is. Therefore, this particular paper is an attempt to explore the obvious inconsistency in the use of some terminology in both public and in the academic contexts. This has led to a suggestion of academic definitions based on generally accepted principles of accounting and modeling approaches. The paper treats questions of methodology like comprehensiveness, completeness, system boundaries, as well as units, also, the durability of most indicator.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Heidari, N., Pearce, J.M.: A review of greenhouse gas emission liabilities as the value of renewable energy for mitigating lawsuits for climate change-related damages. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 55, 899–908 (2016)
Wackernagel, M., Rees, W.: Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island (1989)
Rolfe, A., Huang, Y., Haaf, M., Pita, A., Rezvani, S., Dave, A., Hewitt, N.: Technical and environmental study of calcium carbonate looping versus oxy-fuel options for low CO2 emission cement plants. Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Control 75, 85–97 (2018)
Patel, J.: Green sky thinking. Environ. Business 122, 32 (2006)
Pandey, D., Agrawal, M.: Carbon footprint estimation in the agriculture sector. In: Assessment of Carbon Footprint in Different Industrial Sectors, vol. 1, pp. 25–47. Anonymous Springer (2014)
Energetics Report: The reality of carbon neutrality, London (2007)
Kumar, M., Sharm, L., Vashista, P.: Study on carbon footprint. Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Adv. Eng. 4(1), 345–355 (2014)
Global Footprint Network: Ecological footprint glossary, Oakland, CA, USA (2007)
Grubb, E.: Meeting the carbon challenge: the role of commercial real estate owners, users & managers, Report, Chicago, USA (2007)
Allen, S., Pentland, C.: Carbon Footprint of Electricity Generation: POSTnote 383 (2011)
Haven, J.: Environ. Bus. 129, 27 (2007)
Von Weizsacker, E.U., Hargroves, C., Smith, M.H., Desha, C., Stasinopoulos, P.: Factor Five: Transforming the Global Economy Through 80% Improvements in Resource Productivity. Routledge, London (2009)
Carbon Trust: Carbon footprint measurement methodology, version 1.1, 27 February 2007, London, UK (2007)
Wackernagel, M., Monfreda, C., Moran, D., Werner, P., Goldfinger, S., Deumling, D., Murray, M.: National footprint and biocapacity accounts 2005: the underlying calculation method (2005)
Scottish Executive: Changing our ways: Scotland’s climate change program (2006)
Lenzen, M.: Uncertainty in impact and externality assessments-implications for decision-making (13 pp). Int. J. Life Cycle Assess. 11(3), 189–199 (2006)
Stahmer, C.: The magic triangle of input-output tables. In: 13th International Conference on Input-Output Techniques, p. 25 (2000)
Lenzen, M.: Errors in conventional and Input-Output—based Life—Cycle inventories. J. Ind. Ecol. 4(4), 127–148 (2000)
Tucker, A., Jansen, B.: Environmental impacts of products: a detailed review of studies. J. Ind. Ecol. 10(3), 159–182 (2006)
Wiedmann, T., Minx, J., Barrett, J., Wackernagel, M.: Allocating ecological footprints to final consumption categories with input-output analysis. Ecol. Econ. 56(1), 28–48 (2006)
Suh, S., Lenzen, M., Treloar, G.J., Hondo, H., Horvath, A., Huppes, G., Jolliet, O., Klann, U., Krewitt, W., Moriguchi, Y.: System boundary selection in life-cycle inventories using hybrid approaches. Environ. Sci. Technol. 38(3), 657–664 (2004)
Heijungs, R., De Koning, A., Su, S., Huppes, G.: Toward an information tool for integrated product policy: requirements for data and computation. J. Ind. Ecol. 10(3), 147–158 (2006)
Bullard, C.W., Penner, P.S., Pilati, D.A.: Net energy analysis: handbook for combining process and input-output analysis. Resour. Energy 1(3), 267–313 (1978)
Foran, B., Lenzen, M., Dey, C.: Balancing act: a triple bottom line analysis of the Australian economy (2005)
Sydney GAP: UK Schools Carbon Footprint Scoping Study (2006)
SEI and WWF: Counting Consumption-CO2 emissions, material flows and Ecological Footprint of the UK by region and devolved country (2006)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Durojaye, O., Laseinde, T., Oluwafemi, I. (2020). A Descriptive Review of Carbon Footprint. In: Ahram, T., Karwowski, W., Pickl, S., Taiar, R. (eds) Human Systems Engineering and Design II. IHSED 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1026. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27928-8_144
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27928-8_144
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-27927-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-27928-8
eBook Packages: Intelligent Technologies and RoboticsIntelligent Technologies and Robotics (R0)