carbon footprint

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of carbon footprint

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

The data centers on which AI -- and cloud technology more broadly -- rely consume vast amounts of electricity, which often has a large carbon footprint.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

A new border tax will penalize imports based on their carbon footprint, but it isn’t clear how exactly that will work in this complicated supply chain, said Matthew Thoelke of Chemical Market Analytics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

One would hate to see the carbon footprint of these AI trials.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

It said on average a real Christmas tree produces about 3.5kg of carbon dioxide emissions, but a 2m tree sent to landfill without its roots can have a carbon footprint of 16kg.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

Advocates for carbon capture say part of the reason it’s not making much of a dent in the nation’s carbon footprint is because there hasn’t been enough investment to make it financially viable.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 6, 2025