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Beyond Carbon Footprint Calculators. New Approaches for Linking Consumer Behaviour and Climate Action

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  • Mario Burgui-Burgui

    (Department of Geology, Geography and the Environment, University of Alcalá, 2nd Colegios St., 28801 Madrid, Spain)

  • Emilio Chuvieco

    (Department of Geology, Geography and the Environment, University of Alcalá, 2nd Colegios St., 28801 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

This paper presents a carbon footprint (CF) observatory recently developed within our research group. It aims to introduce a new concept of CF accountability, which focused not just on measuring CF, but also on making users reflect about and eventually change their lifestyles to reduce their personal emissions. With this conception, the CO2web observatory includes not only a CF calculator, but also the CF of different alternative consumption scenarios. Therefore, the user may be more aware of the impact of different personal decisions, such as emissions linked to different food, cars, home appliances or pets. In addition, the CF calculator provides quantitative comparisons of the emissions linked to current habits of users with those of similar cohorts, along with specific advices for those consumption sectors where emissions are significantly higher than their cohort’s average.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Burgui-Burgui & Emilio Chuvieco, 2020. "Beyond Carbon Footprint Calculators. New Approaches for Linking Consumer Behaviour and Climate Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:16:p:6529-:d:398207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Emilio Chuvieco & Mario Burgui-Burgui & Anabel Orellano & Gonzalo Otón & Paloma Ruíz-Benito, 2021. "Links between Climate Change Knowledge, Perception and Action: Impacts on Personal Carbon Footprint," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Magdalena Wróbel-Jędrzejewska & Joanna Markowska & Agata Bieńczak & Paweł Woźniak & Łukasz Ignasiak & Elżbieta Polak & Katarzyna Kozłowicz & Renata Różyło, 2021. "Carbon Footprint in Vegeburger Production Technology Using a Prototype Forming and Breading Device," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Athanasia Orfanou & Stergios Vakalis & Christos Karelis & Charalampos Alexopoulos & Yannis Charalabidis & Demetris Francis Lekkas, 2023. "Assessing the Correlation between Citizen Science and Carbon Footprint: Introduction of COMPAIR’s CO 2 Calculator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-19, August.

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