What are carbon footprint and ecological footprint?

What does carbon footprint and ecological footprint mean?

When talking about environmental issues, the terms " carbon footprint " and " ecological footprint " come up often. Understanding these concepts is important so that we can assess and reduce our own impact on the environment.

What is a carbon footprint?

Carbon footprint refers to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂), caused by human activity, a product or service. For this reason, carbon footprint is sometimes compared to carbon dioxide emissions alone.

Its amount can be measured directly and indirectly by the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere, which arise from, among other things, energy production, transport, food production and industry.

The difference between direct and indirect emissions is best understood with an example:

When a consumer drives a car that uses fossil fuels themselves, they directly cause emissions by driving. On the other hand, when traveling by bus, the emissions are indirect, because the emissions caused by traveling are shared among all passengers.

How to calculate carbon footprint

The carbon footprint is usually calculated as the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) emitted per year. Including:

Energy consumption : How much electricity or other energy is consumed.
Transportation : Use of car, airplane, and public transportation.
Food production : Emissions from the cultivation, processing and transportation of food.
Consumption and goods : Emissions from the production of goods and services.

Reducing carbon footprint

By reducing their carbon footprint, everyone can help reduce the impacts of climate change. You too can help with your choices:

Using renewable energy : Utilizing solar and wind power.
By reducing car driving : Favor public transport, cycling and walking.
By recycling and reducing waste : Minimizing the amount of waste and recycling materials properly.
By choosing environmentally friendly products and services : Buy products that have a small carbon footprint and are produced according to sustainable principles. For example, bar soap is a more ecological solution to regular liquid soap.

What is an ecological footprint?

The ecological footprint measures the impact of human consumption on natural resources and ecosystems. It tells us how much land and water is needed to produce the necessary resources and process the waste generated by human consumption.

This is widely used as a measure of sustainability worldwide. You can view the ecological footprint of different countries on the Global Footprint Network website .

How is the ecological footprint calculated?

The following factors affect the calculation of the ecological footprint:

Forests : The need for wood and paper products and carbon sequestration.
Agriculture : The cultivation of food and other agricultural products.
Fishing : The catching of fish and other seafood.
Energy : Use of non-renewable and renewable energy sources.
Built environment : The land area required by cities, roads, and infrastructure.

Reducing the ecological footprint

The ecological footprint can be reduced in many ways, such as:

Using sustainably produced products and foods : Choose products that are produced in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.
By reducing energy consumption and using efficient appliances : Choose energy-efficient appliances and lights.
By favoring public transport and light transport, such as cycling : Reduce the ecological footprint of transport.

You may find that habits are also related to how you can reduce your carbon footprint!

By reducing the use of fossil fuels, you can be more ecological.

How do carbon footprint and ecological footprint differ?

The carbon footprint focuses on greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change. It mainly measures the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released as a result of human activities.

The ecological footprint, on the other hand, covers the broader impacts of human activity on natural resources and ecosystems. It measures the use of land and water areas, as well as the consumption of natural resources and waste management.

Sopo - Nature first

The products in the Sopo Soap online store are made organically in Finland, so their carbon footprint is very small. Natural cosmetics products also have a lower impact on the environment than chemicals and synthetic substances. The products are also packaged in recyclable/biodegradable packaging.