Synonyms
Definition
Various definitions for the term carbon footprint have been proposed in the scientific literature and by international institutions. Table 1 depicts some popular definitions by researchers and practitioners. Even if the definitions slightly differ, a carbon footprint is generally understood as a measure of the total amount of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions directly or indirectly caused by a certain activity, system, or population, which is used by decision-makers to design, implement, and evaluate climate change mitigation initiatives.
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Damert, M., Morris, J., Guenther, E. (2019). Carbon Footprints of Organizations and Products. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Responsible Consumption and Production. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71062-4_12-1
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