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

For now, most German states have lifted the Sunday trucking ban -- banking on a mode of transport with a far heavier carbon footprint than river boats.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, separate statistics released by the government showed Scotland's carbon footprint between 2021 and 2022 increased by 1.6%.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

For more than a decade, Anadol has devoted much thought to the massive carbon footprint associated with AI models.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Ternus is credited with leading a drive to make Apple products more durable, reliable and resilient, as well as innovative designs that reduced their carbon footprint.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026