carbon footprint
noun
: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period
Examples of carbon footprint in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The California plant is expected to remove 1,000 tons of carbon annually, roughly equal to the carbon footprint of 70 Americans.
—
Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2023
Shifting to a vegetarian or mixed diet can reduce your carbon footprint.
—Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Nov. 2023
Tours vary in degree of difficulty, and the company calculates the carbon footprint of each itinerary for easy reference.
—Laura Beausire, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023
Electrification would also appeal to customers that increasingly want to purchase greener steel to lower the carbon footprint of their products.
—Stanley Reed Francesca Jones, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Environmentally conscious design is an excellent way to lower your carbon footprint—and maybe even your electricity bill—while setting future owners up for success.
—Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2023
Since then, Disney has taken steps to reduce the carbon footprint of park employees’ commutes.
—Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Half of battery production’s carbon footprint is in the supply chain: mining, refining, preparing materials.
—WIRED, 8 Nov. 2023
Together, this improves the vessel’s efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2023
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Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2023
Shifting to a vegetarian or mixed diet can reduce your carbon footprint.
—Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Nov. 2023
Tours vary in degree of difficulty, and the company calculates the carbon footprint of each itinerary for easy reference.
—Laura Beausire, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023
Electrification would also appeal to customers that increasingly want to purchase greener steel to lower the carbon footprint of their products.
—Stanley Reed Francesca Jones, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Environmentally conscious design is an excellent way to lower your carbon footprint—and maybe even your electricity bill—while setting future owners up for success.
—Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2023
Since then, Disney has taken steps to reduce the carbon footprint of park employees’ commutes.
—Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Half of battery production’s carbon footprint is in the supply chain: mining, refining, preparing materials.
—WIRED, 8 Nov. 2023
Together, this improves the vessel’s efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbon footprint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1999, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Carbon footprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20footprint. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
carbon footprint
noun
: the amount of greenhouse gases and especially carbon dioxide given off by something (as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period
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