ABSTRACT
Climate change represents a significant threat to the environment and liveli ‐ hoods of large proportions of humanity. It is widely accepted that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, caused by anthropogenic activities, are responsible for global warming and the resulting dramatic changes in our climate. To prevent projected and unforeseen effects of climate change, international agreements and scientific assessments call for a concerted action for substantial reductions in GHG emissions (IPCC 2013). In order to quantify and manage GHG emissions, carbon footprint as an indicator is being widely used. It has also become an increasingly popular concept for communicating climate change impacts among industries, consumers, and policymakers. In a policy context, carbon footprint is being used for knowledge-based decision-making for sustainable consumption and production policies. To increase transparency and consistency in measuring and reporting carbon footprints, several guidelines and standards have been developed. This chapter gives an overview of the carbon footprint concept and discusses the standards and approaches for assessing carbon footprints. Some applications of the carbon footprints and its relevance for regional authorities are also discussed.
