Carbon Neutral Design  = Lower Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, that are generated by our actions. 

What is a Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint is measured in metric tons.  The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is about 20 metric tons, which is one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the current average is closer to 4 metric tons. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global temperatures from pre-industrial levels, the average global carbon footprint per year per person needs to drop under 2 metric tons by 2050. 


Lowering our individual carbon footprints in the U.S. from 20 to 2 tons doesn’t happen overnight. By making small changes to our actions, like reducing waste, walking more, taking less connecting flights and being mindful of purchasing decisions we can start to make a big difference.

Greenhouse Gases Contributing to a Carbon Footprint

Various greenhouse gases (GHGs) contribute to a carbon footprint, including : 

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) – Carbon dioxide is the heaviest GHG emitted in the atmosphere through human activities. The volume of CO2 is what primarily contributes to climate change, remaining for a long time in the atmosphere. Sources of CO2 include deforestation, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial processes.  

Methane (CH4) – As compared to CO2, Methane is much more efficient when it comes to trapping heat. Though it remains for a short time (12 years), it contributes significantly to near-term warming. CH4 sources include agriculture, fossil fuel extraction, and landfills. 

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) – Nitrous oxide is a strong greenhouse gas with a long-lasting impact on the environment, around 114 years. It also plays a role in the depletion of the ozone layer. Sources of N2O include combustion, agriculture, and industrial activities. 

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – These are synthetic gases with high GWPs (global warming potential), although they are emitted in smaller portions as compared to CO2. These are potent GHG gases but do not deplete the ozone layer. Sources involve industrial processes, and refrigeration and air conditioning. 

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) – These are steady gases with a lifetime of over thousands of years. Since they have high GWPs, they add remarkably to long-term warming. Aluminum production and semiconductor manufacturing are the sources of PFCs.  

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) – SF6 is said to be the most powerful greenhouse gas, with an extremely high GWP and a lifetime of about 3,200 years. Its emissions are comparatively low, but has a crucial impact on global warming. 

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) – CFCs and HCFCs have high GWPs and play their part in the depletion of ozone layer. Despite being greatly reduced under the Montreal Protocol, they still exist in the atmosphere. Their sources include refrigeration and air conditioning, and aerosol propellants and foam blowing agents. 

Greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the planet. Human activities have caused most of the increase in greenhouse gases over the past 150 years, with burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation being the biggest source in the U.S.  Source: EPA 

Factors That Contribute to Carbon Footprint

Energy Use: This sector is responsible for 39.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This includes emissions from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and cooling, as well as emissions from vehicles and shipping that use non-renewable energy.

Industrial Processes: This sector makes up 28.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It includes emissions from raw material extraction, manufacturing, producing building materials, and transportation of materials to industrial sites.

Agriculture and Land Use: Overall contributes 12% of global emissions. This includes emissions from livestock, fertilizer use, machinery, land clearing, and soil disturbance.

Waste Management: This includes methane emissions from decomposing organic waste and CO2 emissions from burning waste, recycling, and composting.

Supply Chain and Consumption: Includes emissions from raw material extraction, production, and distribution. They also come from product use, maintenance, disposal, food production, packaging, and food waste decomposition.

Household Activities: Accounts for 9.9% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This includes emissions from electricity use, water use, waste disposal, and transportation.

There are about 4,300 metric tons coming from categories other than households.  They include assisted living facilities, businesses, schools, and the additional Village overhead not captured in the household carbon footprint of 66 metric tons. We embrace the challenge to reduce that amount by ~2,100 metric tons per year as part of this initiative.  

What is the Baseline for the Village's Carbon Footprint?

In the 1.3 square miles of Ardsley we have about 1,500 households.  Ardsley 10502 emits approximately 100,000 metric tons of emissions per year. Dividing that total by the number of households gives us about 66 metric tons of emissions per household per year.


The average emission per household includes some Village overhead for goods and services shared by residents. Our shared, achievable opportunity is to reduce Ardsley’s total annual emissions by 50% by 2030 to 50,000 metric tons per year and to reduce our household carbon footprint to an average of 33 metric tons a year. 

What Drives Our Carbon Footprint in Ardsley?

Having a baseline Greenhouse Gas inventory allows us to set quantified decarbonization goals and measure progress along the way.


You always start a journey from a starting point, and our current 10502 carbon footprint is our starting point. We also know where we want to end and by when. So, measurement is key in this journey to let us know where we are, how we’re doing, and to help us adjust along the way.  


We have calculated the carbon footprint for the Village of Ardsley, more specifically the 10502 zip code. The information you see above is taken from many sources, including the EPA and the CoolClimate Network.  Though our baseline is for 10502, activities and tips we offer can be used by anyone in the Ardsley School District or by anyone in general.  We’re using 10502 because we have the data for Ardsley by zip code.


Let’s look at the average carbon footprint for each household.  


Since Ardsley is a small community, Village overhead is a small piece of our footprint and, therefore, the main opportunity for change is in Ardsley households. That is where we are placing most of our focus because it will yield the most dramatic results.


The highest Carbon lever is transportation, then followed by housing, services, food and goods. Housing includes the heating and cooling of your home, as well as electricity usage. Food includes the amount of waste, proportion of plant based food in our diet, and use of organic and locally sourced food. Goods cover a lot of our lifestyle needs and choices. Some examples of how to reduce the carbon footing in the goods area would be to:You may wonder what is included in goods and services. Some examples of how to impact goods and services are to: 


A way to reduce one’s carbon footprint in the services area is to support business that are committed to reducing their carbon emissions and waste while delivering a service. Landscaping services, where gas powered blowers and mowing equipment is used, falls under services.  

So, What Goes Into A Net-Zero Home?

Excellent question.  It turns out houses can be built with such energy efficiency that their electricity needs are offset by a few rooftop solar panels.  In fact, Toronto-area engineer and net zero housing expert Michael Lio, president of buildABILITY, identifies upgrades to exterior elements of the home, such as windows and insulation, as primary ways to affordably move toward net zero energy (see left).  Tell us what you think, do you want to see more Net-Zero homes in our Village? How can we help?  Send us an email at ArdsleyGreenTaskForce@ardsleyvillage.gov 🔊

Do We Know How Much Greenhouse Gas Is Produced by Village of Ardsley Operations?

In June 2021 a Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG) was completed to measure the greenhouse gas emission from village municipal operations. As with the residential baseline, the Village GHG baseline provided important information on drivers of emissions and provides potential opportunities for GHG reductions.