What is the Carbon Budget & Why is it Important?

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Have you ever heard the term carbon budget?

We all share a carbon budget which means we all share a limit to the amount of greenhouse gases we can emit to limit global warming. Exceeding this limit and having a carbon footprint that's too large will impact the planet and its livability for us.

But how does our carbon budget relate to global warming? Ever wondered what your individual carbon budget is?

Let’s break it down together!

What is the Relationship Between Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming?

Let’s keep it short: the scientific studies compiled and summarized by the IPCC, show that global warming is a result of the greenhouse effect, which is being intensified by the rapid increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities since the industrial revolution.

What is Carbon Budget?

The carbon budget is the maximum amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) humanity can release into the atmosphere to limit global warming.   

Since Paris Climate Agreements, we usually consider a 420 billion tons of carbon budget to achieve the +1.5ºC objective from 2018 to 2050.   

Global carbon budget from 2018 to 2050

420B Tons
Co2 eq.  

Carbon budget per capita per year 

1,5 Tons  
Co2 eq.  

You might find slightly different numbers depending on the source. The value you find will depend on the objective (1.5°C vs 2°C) and the date to determine the remaining budget. 

The sooner we burn our budget, the sooner we reach the 1.5ºC and the harder we need to press on the brakes to attain the +1.5ºC objective.
Source: IPCC report

Explained by IPCC author Pep Canadell:

How Do we Calculate the Carbon Budget Per Capita?  

The carbon budget per capita is calculated from the total CO2 budget divided per year and per capita, considering the human population projection:  

Total CO2 budget: 420B tons of Co2*
÷  
Number of years: 30 years  
÷  
Average human population: 8.8B 
=  
1,5T of Co2 / capita / year until 2050  

 
*Budget since 2018.

We are consuming this budget every second.

Why Should we Keep an Eye on the Carbon Budget?

Like any budget, you don't want to spend more than you can afford!

To manage this, you need a clear indicator to monitor. Knowing your budget allows you to take action and cut what impacts it the most.

However, unlike your household budget, this one is shared with all of humanity. We all affect each other.  

Now you know what the global carbon budget of humanity is,

Let's discuss your individual spending, your carbon footprint and what we can do to help.

But that will be the topic of our next article! 

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