Climate Calculator (to Minimize Our Impact on Earth)

I finally found an online climate calculator that calculates my carbon footprint more realistically than any other climate tool I’ve used.

This free online Swedish tool, the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator first converts to my language, and then shares the harm I’m causing our earth.

It also shows me how I can easily reverse that damage on my own, which I think is vital.

In addition, if one wants to offset their residual (unavoidable) climate impact, ClimateHero makes it easy to do so through climate projects they say are certified by the United Nations.

I was actually shocked to discover my climate offset would only cost what one might spend on two cups of coffee a month. Two coffees a month. For the earth.

How the ClimateHero Calculator Calculates a Carbon Footprint

The ClimateHero Carbon Calculator first asked me the questions below. I found it simple to answer them by quickly clicking the multiple-choice answers that were provided…

  • how large is your home?

  • what kind of residence is it?

  • in which decade was your house built?

  • what heating source does your building use?

  • does your home have air conditioning?

  • does the building have its own electricity-generating system?

  • does your home use fossil-free electricity?

  • are you actively trying to reduce your electricity consumption?

  • how many adults live in your household?

  • how many children live in your household?

  • how many pets live in your household?

  • do you have a second property?

  • how many personal short-haul (under 2 hours) flights do you take per year?

  • how many personal medium-haul (2-6 hours) flights do you take per year?

  • how many personal long-haul (6+ hours) flights do you take per year?

  • do you own or lease a car?

  • how many days a year do you share a car from a car-sharing service?

  • how many days a year do you rent a car?

  • how many taxi trips do you take per year (includes Uber/Lyft)?

  • how often do you take a ferry?

  • how often do you use public transport?

  • how often do you go by foot or bicycle?

  • do you own or lease a motorbike?

  • do you own or leave a moped or scooter?

  • do you own or lease a motorboat?

  • how often do you eat beef or lamb?

  • how often do you eat a vegetarian meal?

  • what portion of your diet is fully plant-based?

  • do you consciously choose products that are seasonal?

  • do you consciously choose products that are locally sourced?

  • do you grow your own food?

  • what is your attitude regarding food waste?

  • what best describes your consumption of single-use plastic?

  • what best describes your consumption of palm oil?

  • how frequently do you shop?

  • do you buy second-hand purchases?

  • do you give away/sell second-hand items?

  • how do you recycle?

  • do you offset any of your carbon footprint?

ClimateHero then allowed me to guess where I thought I stood in the full scheme of things.

After I guessed what I believed to be my carbon emissions, ClimateHero displayed my emissions reality, celebrating what I’m doing well. This was educational and fun to cheer.

Next, the calculator showed me where I could improve—how I could become a climate hero—asking me if I was interested in making those changes. This was motivating.

There’s something about seeing my score, but wanting an even better score, that made me want to make a few changes. I want to be a climate hero!

At the very end, the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator emailed me my carbon footprint, climate promises, and asked if I wanted to offset my remaining footprint.

Seriously. It felt like a beautiful exercise.

Three Easy Steps to Calculate (and Reduce) Our Carbon Footprint

  • I calculated my carbon footprint with the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator

  • It showed me the harm I’m causing and how I can easily reduce it myself

  • If I also wanted to offset my residual (unavoidable) carbon footprint, ClimateHero allowed me to contribute to what they say are UN-certified climate projects…

“We believe that carbon offsetting should never be used as a way to rationalize or perpetuate unsustainable practices … only … an option after first calculating and starting to reduce your carbon footprint.

“To account for potential calculation errors, the … carbon footprint is offset by a factor of 200%.

“The carbon offsetting occurs in a portfolio of climate projects that … maximize the climate benefit for the lowest possible cost and risk … our projects contribute in tangible ways to a region’s social improvement.

“Offsetting in a portfolio of projects means the risk will be spread out … more secure than … to select a single project.

“The climate projects are certified by the UN and bear the Gold Standard quality label … subject to the toughest audit requirements regarding verifiable climate benefit and social improvement.”

Are Carbon Offsets a Wise Choice?

When I first found the ClimateHero calculator, I didn’t realize it would provide an opportunity to buy carbon offsets. And I didn’t know if carbon offsets were a wise choice.

So I searched the ClimateHero website and found their carbon offset data, incuding ClimateHero’s annual audit reports…

“ClimateHero uses a third-party auditor to inspect and validate our carbon offset practice.

“The objective of the audit is to ensure that ClimateHero acts in compliance with the stipulated policy and ensure that the offset volumes in climate projects match the volumes bought by ClimateHero’s users.

“The audit is conducted in conjunction with the financial closing of books each fiscal year. The first audit occurred in 2018.”

ClimateHero also shared how my money would be used, should I choose to offset my unavoidable carbon…

“We use 20% of your contribution to run and develop ClimateHero.

“This includes all the costs for our servers, software licences, credit card fees, technology development and costs of having employees.

“As we grow, we will be able to reduce that proportion.

“The remaining 80% of your contribution enables immediate climate benefits.

“We buy carbon offset certificates in Gold Standard certified projects that cover 200% of your carbon footprint. The price per tonne varies over time and between different projects.

“If there is money left over when we have covered 200% of your footprint, we will use it to reach more people and tell them how to calculate and start reducing their carbon footprint.

“You may cancel the service at any time, with no fixed subscription period

“Safe card payments using the third biggest payment platform, Stripe”

Of course, I should probably do more research, but that was enough to put my mind at ease. I still know little, but the little I know sits fine with me at this stage.

Climate Facts

In addition, I appreciated that ClimateHero shared these climate facts about the following…

ClimateHero, Summed Up with a Little Coffee

In less time than it takes to drink an ecological cup of coffee, I can use the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator to see how I’m harming Mother Earth.

Then I can see how I can help her.

In addition, for about two coffees a month, I’m also offsetting my residual carbon footprint—the part of my climate footprint I cannot reduce.

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