Lifestyle
Carbon Footprint (Driving)
Calculate your annual CO₂ emissions from driving and how many trees to offset.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions for most Canadians. This calculator quantifies your personal contribution from driving and shows what it takes to offset it.
Annual Driving Emissions
4.20 metric tons CO₂
- gallons Used
- 429 gallons/year
- trees To Offset
- 70 trees planted
- equivalent
- 5 kg of beef consumed
Formula and method
CO₂ = (Miles / MPG) × CO₂ per gallon (19.6 lbs for gasoline)
EPA emission factors: gasoline 19.6 lbs CO₂/gallon, diesel 22.4 lbs/gallon, E85 12.7 lbs/gallon. Tree sequestration based on USDA estimate of 48 lbs (22kg) CO₂ per tree per year.
Worked examples
Average commuter
- Miles Driven per Year:
- 12000
- Vehicle Fuel Economy (MPG):
- 25
- Fuel Type:
- Gasoline
Annual Driving Emissions: 4.70 metric tons CO₂
Efficient hybrid driver
- Miles Driven per Year:
- 15000
- Vehicle Fuel Economy (MPG):
- 50
- Fuel Type:
- Gasoline
Annual Driving Emissions: 2.94 metric tons CO₂
Assumptions and limits
- EPA CO₂ emission factors per gallon
- US-Canadian gallon (3.785L)
This tool provides an educational estimate. Rules, rates and personal circumstances can change the answer. Review the assumptions before relying on a result. Report a correction.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting that this is CO₂-equivalent only — does not include methane, nitrous oxide, or upstream extraction emissions.
- Assuming EV is zero emissions — electricity generation has its own carbon intensity depending on the grid mix.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Canadian's driving footprint?
Canadians drive an average of about 15,000 km (9,300 miles) per year per vehicle. At ~8L/100km fuel economy, that produces roughly 2-3 metric tons of CO₂ annually per vehicle.