All communities are different and sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin or what to prioritise when organising community action around local carbon emissions. That’s why we’ve developed our Impact Community Carbon Calculator.

The Impact Community Carbon Calculator offers:

• A good basis for understanding local emissions.
• An engagement tool for climate action in your local community.
• Suggestions to focus climate action efforts on the big-emission areas.

Get started by simply searching for your local area here.

“Impact” is an innovative carbon footprinting tool created by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and the University of Exeter.

The Impact tool is completely free and provides easy-to-understand data about carbon emissions in local areas across England, Scotland and Wales, drawing from over 30 datasets to estimate the total emissions produced directly and indirectly from everyday activities in a local area.

The carbon footpint data shows estimated emissions from heating homes, using electricity, transport, producing and distributing food, disposing of waste, and emissions resulting from buying goods and services.

People and communities can use this information to work together and agree the best, most impactful activities to cut emissions in their local area.

Since its launch, the Impact Community Carbon Calculator has supported thousands of people and around 300 local councils in their local climate action.

Climate emergency planning

We know that many local councils are working on climate emergency plans, and that carbon footprints are commonly commissioned for larger areas.

Meanwhile, lots of people are already using personal carbon footprint tools available on the internet. Impact provides data for the bit in the middle – smaller community areas.

Impact offers data at three different levels:

• Parish
• Council
• Ward

Anyone can look at the carbon footprint of their local area, but it is most useful when used by local councils or community groups who can influence change in their communities. The tool can be used to compare different areas. It can also generate a short report which helps with sharing both the carbon footprint breakdowns and also suggestions for local activities which will make a difference.

Read our stories about how Impact has shaped community activity.

Alongside the Impact tool, CSE also supports community groups to implement actions through its Climate Emergency programme and signposts groups to local organisations that are well placed to support their specific initiatives.