A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide—released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity. A carbon footprint can be a broad measure or be applied to the actions of an individual, a family, an event, an organization, or even an entire nation. It is usually measured as tons of CO2 emitted per year, a number that can be supplemented by tons of CO2-equivalent gases, including methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases.

When calculating a carbon footprint, a lot of factors are taken into consideration:

• Fuel usage in producing electricity in the local utilities
• Fuel usage in heating or power generation to offset EDL's shortfall
• Fuel usage for ground transport, such as corporate fleet of cars
• Fuel use for air travel
• Consumption of paper products
• Refrigerant gases used

The greenhouse gases emissions are responsible of the solar radiation retention, thus, responsible for any small changes in the average temperature of the planet. These changes can translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather.