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

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Etymology

Origin of carbon footprint

First recorded in 1995–2000

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carbon footprint

Artificial intelligence has become a lightning rod in climate debates over concerns about the growing carbon footprint of the data centres powering the technology.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Orbital envisioned carbon-capture systems sitting inside data centers, helping tech companies reduce their carbon footprint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

This type of aquaculture also has a low carbon footprint and the shells function as a form of carbon capture, according to a 2020 paper by the scientific journal Nature Food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

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

"But I think nuclear technology clearly is important in the future, particularly if we think about energy and reducing our carbon footprint."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

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