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The concept of a “carbon footprint” was popularized by the oil company BP in the early 2000s, with the aim of shifting the responsibility for decarbonization onto consumers.
According to researchers at the Oxford English Dictionary, this year marks 25 years since the first recorded use of the term “carbon footprint”, in a 1999 edition of the BBC’s “Vegetarian Good Food” magazine.
Although it has helped us to understand our impact on the planet by assigning tangible numbers to actions, some environmental researchers now believe that the term has shifted too much responsibility onto individuals and that more pressure needs to be put on policymakers and companies.
“Politically, it hasn’t led to the right conclusions about national carbon emission pathways. We are still in a world where reducing carbon emissions is more expensive and more laborious than simply using fossil fuels. That frustrates people a lot,” as admits to Euronews Antje Boetius, director of the Alfred Wegene Institute, a research center. “People are often surprised when they hear that 10% of all companies or people are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions,” he adds.
A 2021 study concluded that although the carbon footprint is best known by all, “it is also [o indicador] where the chaos is most evident”, since it lacks a consistent definition and calculation method. Experts therefore advocate standardizing methodologies and tools to correctly compare the footprint of different products and actions, and avoid confusion and greenwashing.
The concept in the hands of oil companies
The “carbon footprint” has become very popular with large oil companies. According to science journalist Mark Kaufman, BP hired PR firm Ogilvy & Mather to popularize the term “carbon footprint” in the early 2000s, in an attempt to shift the burden of decarbonization onto consumers. In 2004, BP launched one of the first carbon footprint calculators and still promotes the concept today.
“I think the oil industry’s public relations have worked very well to divert people instead of bringing them together in the search for infrastructure and socio-economic solutions,” says Antje Boetius.
What could change?
Some researchers suggest that carbon footprint calculators inhibit people, companies and politicians from taking the necessary measures to tackle climate change.
“The carbon footprint is a distraction; we need widespread social change and a complete change in the way everything is done. Personal reductions are important, but at a level that distracts us from the need for a complete system change,” says Tom Bradley, director of the environmental consultancy Decerna, speaking to Euronews.
To change the system, we need to rethink the way we measure our footprints, says Mathis Wackernagel, president of the sustainability think tank Global Footprint Network, which is responsible for developing “Earth Overshoot Day” (the day on which humanity exhausts the natural resources that the Earth can replenish in a year) and an “Ecological Footprint” (the speed with which we consume resources and generate waste compared to the speed with which nature can absorb this waste and generate new natural resources).
“The language of blame doesn’t help,” says Wackernagel, advocating a more comprehensive measure of the ecological footprint and climate goals focused on making resources more secure, rather than just reducing our footprint as much as possible.
In addition, experts highlight the need to start demanding more climate action from governments in order to reduce the gigantic footprints of the biggest polluters.
She might have chosen to study Meteorology and Oceanography, but ultimately pursued Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wouldn't be the one to change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for the university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch tv shows, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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