Carbon jargon, made simple

Gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, keeping temperatures stable. However, human activities - especially food production, transportation, and deforestation - have significantly increased these gases, driving climate change.

The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing food, from farming and processing to transport and packaging. A lower carbon footprint means a food has a smaller impact on the environment.

A unit used to measure and compare greenhouse gas emissions. Since gases like methane and nitrous oxide have a much greater warming effect than CO₂, they are converted into an equivalent amount of CO₂ based on their global warming potential. This provides a single, standardised measurement of climate impact.

A method used to calculate the environmental impact of a food product from production to disposal. This includes everything from growing crops and processing ingredients to packaging and distribution. My Emissions uses LCA principles to measure cradle-to-point-of-sale emissions for food products.

Defines which parts of a food’s life cycle are included in a carbon footprint calculation. My Emissions’ system boundary covers all emissions from farm to store, including farming, processing, packaging, and transport. Cooking and food waste emissions are not included in our calculations.

Covers indirect emissions that occur beyond a company’s direct operations, such as supply chain emissions from food production, transportation, and packaging. Universities and businesses use Scope 3 reporting to track food-related emissions and support sustainability goals.