Carbon Footprint Management Toolkit for Sustainable Low-Carbon Living
Welcome to the Hong Kong Carbon Footprint Toolkit for carbon management at home,
presented by City University of Hong Kong.
Click Here to begin calculatiing the carbon footprint of your family and household.
Carbon Footprint Management Toolkit for Sustainable Low-Carbon Living
Principal Investigator:
Michael K.H. Leung
Associate Professor and Associate Dean
Director, Ability R&D Energy Research Centre
Team Members:
Simon C. Jewell
Sam W.K. Cheng
Karthikeyan Rengasamy
Li Li
School of Energy and Environment
City University of Hong Kong
Carbon Footprint Management Toolkit for Sustainable Low-Carbon Living
is funded by the Sustainable Development Fund
What is Carbon Footprint?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Climate Change
Climate change is a major threat to humans on this planet. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity present a serious risk to our health and our economic, social and environmental prosperity.
Have you ever considered the environmental impact of our busy metropolitan lifestyles and high consumption of fuel, electricity, food and water? Have you ever considered the impact of all the waste that results from living the way we do? These are just a few things which could determine the substainability of future generations.
The "carbon footprint" is a measure of the impact we have in terms of the greenhouse gases we produce every year. By taking simple, inexpensive measures in our daily lives we can achieve low-carbon living!
What is the greenhouse effect and how are we influencing it?
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon which has historically provided the conditions for organisms to grow and survive. Solar radiation from the Sun reaches the Earth's atmosphere and whilst some is reflected back to space by clouds and the Earth's surface, a large percentage is kept within the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) absorb reflected infrared radiation from the Earth's surface and re-emit it as heat.
Since rapid industrialisation in the 19th and 20th centuries the concentration of greenhouse gases has risen faster and faster. The result we are now realising is that the Earth is warming too much!
Between 1906 and 2005 global mean temperature has increased by between 0.6-0.9oC and is certain to continue increasing. Estimates for 21st century temperature increases range between 1.1-6.4oC depending on what action we take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Tips for Carbon Reduction
The next and perhaps most important stage of the carbon footprinting process is to start making reductions!
The 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Replace, are easy to apply. By following a few simple tips and aiming to continuously improve, you are sure to make a big impact on your wallet and our environment.
Useful Links
2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Carbon Trust UK
DEFRA
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Greenhouse Gas Protocol
Guidelines to Account for and Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
and Removals for Buildings In Hong Kong, HKSAR/EMSD & EPD
Hong Kong Council for Sustainable Development
Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (EPD)
International Energy Agency
iSustainable.org
SME Carbon Audit Toolkit
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
US National Research Centre
