Footprint Calculator
Next steps
Want to improve your personal sustainability? Look at the detailed quiz results to learn which of your consumption categories is the highest, then click the link below for ideas about how you can improve.
Sample quiz results courtesy of Global Footprint Network.
Food
Everybody eats! Learn how you can purchase food in ways that help farmers and the environment. Better yet, why not grow some of your food yourself?
Services
Because they are intangible it's easy to forget that our consumption of services has tangible implications for people and the environment. Learn how you can reduce your consumption of services while staying comfortable and healthy.
Mobility
Whether you are traveling across town or across the country, sustainable mobility options can help get you there. Learn how you can make transportation choices that save energy, reduce pollution, and even make your trip more enjoyable.
Goods
The things you own cost more than just the dollars you pay for them. Learn how you can purchase goods that are produced more sustainably and enjoy those goods for as long as possible.
Shelter
Lighting, cooking, climate control, water heating, material sourcing and disposal. When you consider all of the resources needed for housing, it is easy to see why shelter represents a major sustainability challenge. Learn how you can minimize the impact of your home and perhaps save some money in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ecological footprint?
An ecological footprint is a score that describes the sustainability of a person or group of people based on their behaviors.
How does it work?
Online footprint calculators like the one linked above ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle and estimate how many Earths it would take to support the world's population if everyone lived the same way you do.
What do the results mean?
There is a limit to what nature can produce in a year. The Earth Overshoot Day means that if everyone lived like you, we will consume a year worth of resources by the overshoot day. Any date earlier than December 31 means that you are using resources at an unsustainable rate. The results also tell you how many Earths it would take to sustain us if everyone lived like you. Any number of Earths greater than 1 means that your lifestyle is unsustainable.
I've got my score. Now what?
That depends on your situation. Everyone has different needs, and perhaps you are doing all you can do right now. Or, perhaps one of the questions made you realize that you could make a small change and significantly improve your score. Take a look at the sustainability ideas presented on this site. Start with the easy things, and work up to the harder things. The most important thing is to simply keep sustainability in mind with every decision and do what you can!