carbon footprint

American  

noun

• carbon footprints
  plural

1. the amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country, etc..

   the carbon footprint of an overseas flight;

   how to measure your carbon footprint.

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carbon footprint British  

noun

1. a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by a single endeavour or by a company, household, or individual through day-to-day activities over a given period

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• carbon footprints
  plural

Etymology

Origin of carbon footprint

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carbon footprint

Much of this is a reaction to efforts by progressives that encourage people to shrink their carbon footprint and waste less of the earth’s resources.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

"We've had 20 years of really focusing on the carbon cycle and the carbon footprint is now a critical key performance indicator in every area of business," Truelove explained.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Data centres, whose expansion is being fuelled dramatically by the artificial intelligence boom, have a far bigger carbon footprint than previously estimated, a study said Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The carbon footprint of a single LP was estimated to be roughly equal to the pollution a gas-powered vehicle emits over a three-mile trip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

New York City has committed to halving the construction industry’s carbon footprint by 2033.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026