It’s easy to talk about sustainability in the abstract, but sometimes it’s hard to know where you actually stand. That’s where carbon footprint calculators can be really helpful. They’re designed to take a look at your habits, including the way you travel or the food you eat, to give you a clearer picture of your impact on the planet.
I’ve been playing around with a few different ones lately, and it’s been eye-opening to see the numbers spelled out. The best part is they don’t just show the problem, they also point you toward solutions.
Here are six websites (and apps) where you can check your carbon footprint and get inspired to make changes:
1. Oroeco
Oroeco connects to your everyday life, with things like travel, energy use, and even spending, to show how your choices add up. It’s pretty detailed, but also motivating, because it offers personalized tips and even rewards you for lowering your footprint.
2. EarthHero Impact Calculator
EarthHero is best known as a marketplace for eco-friendly products, but they also offer a handy impact calculator within their free app. It shows you the difference between buying sustainably and buying conventional goods, which makes you feel good about those changes you’ve already made (and gives you ideas for new ones).
Created by researchers at UC Berkeley, this one is probably the most comprehensive footprint calculator out there. It asks about your home energy, car use, travel, shopping, and diet, then gives you a detailed breakdown. It’s really approachable, even if you’re new to carbon tracking.
This site offers calculators for individuals, businesses, and even events. It’s a little more on the technical side, but it’s trusted by a lot of organizations. You can also explore verified offset projects directly through the site if you’re looking to balance your emissions.
This one is short, visual, and surprisingly fun to use. It asks you simple lifestyle questions and then gives you a quick snapshot of how your choices compare globally. It’s not as detailed as some of the others, but it’s a great starting point for anyone who’s just starting to get curious about their footprint.
6. Pawprint
Pawprint is an app that makes footprint tracking feel more like a game. It gives you a baseline footprint, then challenges you with small, achievable actions to help reduce it. If you like tracking progress and celebrating little wins, this one’s a great fit.
7. ClimateHero
ClimateHero is a quick and user-friendly carbon calculator that asks just a few simple lifestyle questions and then gives you a clear estimate of your footprint. What makes it nice is that it instantly suggests realistic changes you can make (like greener electricity or different dietary choices) and shows how much each change would reduce your emissions.
There’s no “perfect” footprint calculator, and you’ll notice that each one asks slightly different questions and gives slightly different results. But that’s okay! What matters most is that you’re using them as a tool to get curious about your habits, and to see where you can make small changes in your life that’ll add up over time.