What is the carbon footprint? It's not a "footprint"

Carbon footprint refers to the collection of greenhouse gas emissions caused by enterprises, institutions, activities, products or individuals through transportation, food production and consumption, and various production processes. Carbon "refers to natural resources composed of carbon elements such as oil, coal, and wood. The more carbon is consumed, the more carbon dioxide, the culprit of global warming, is produced, and the greater the carbon footprint; On the contrary, the smaller the "carbon footprint".

The accurate definition and understanding of "carbon footprint" are still constantly developing and improving. Different scholars or organizations have different focuses on the concept and connotation of "carbon footprint", among which scholars define it more from the perspective of life cycle assessment, while institutional organizations mainly define it based on the background and functions of their evaluation objects. At present, carbon footprint can be divided into "national carbon footprint", "urban carbon footprint", "organizational carbon footprint", "corporate carbon footprint", "household carbon footprint", "product carbon footprint", and "personal carbon footprint" according to its application level (analysis scale).

What is the carbon footprint of a product?

Product carbon footprint is the "carbon archive" of a product, which refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions directly or indirectly generated throughout the entire lifecycle of a product from the acquisition, transportation, production, transportation, use, and disposal of raw and auxiliary materials.

By calculating and analyzing the carbon emissions throughout the entire lifecycle of products, enterprises can inform consumers of their carbon footprint by attaching a "Carbon footprint label" to guide their market purchasing behavior.

Against the backdrop of increasingly prominent global resource and environmental issues, enterprises are the key players in achieving the "dual carbon" goals. By conducting carbon footprint verification activities, enterprises can accurately position their carbon emissions in each link, carry out targeted energy-saving and consumption reduction measures, reduce carbon emissions through the entire industry chain and cooperation, strengthen enterprise innovation drive, break green trade barriers, and actively strive for a voice in international trade. Conducting product carbon footprint certification can help enterprises accelerate green transformation and achieve sustainable and high-quality development goals.