CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATION IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF ACTIVITY

Today there are no mandatory European Union rules for calculating the carbon footprint. Anyway, the European Commission has proposed to achieve until 2030 the goal of lowering the net greenhouse gas emissions by minimum 55% in comparison to the year 1990. Lately, there have been intense concerns from the EU institutions and bodies in environmental issues, many of them joining environmental initiatives. This paper aims to present a simplified way of calculating the carbon footprint in different fields or situations, taking into account that depending on the activity carried out, various fuels and sources are used, with distinct emission factors associated, following the impact they have on the environment. Attention is also drawn to the need for increasing the level of population awareness in a current subject whose approach cannot be delayed.