Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, yet many individuals struggle to understand how their everyday activities contribute to carbon emissions. While large-scale industrial impacts are often discussed, the effect of daily habits such as commuting, energy usage, and food choices is less visible. We were inspired to build a solution that makes sustainability personal, measurable, and actionable, empowering individuals to better understand and reduce their environmental impact.
Our project is a Carbon Footprint Estimator for Daily Activities that allows users to calculate their carbon emissions based on common lifestyle choices. Users can input data related to transportation, energy consumption, and other daily activities, and the system converts this information into estimated CO₂ emissions. The platform then presents this data in an easy-to-understand format, helping users visualise their environmental impact and encouraging more sustainable decision-making.
We built the application using a combination of frontend web technologies for an intuitive and user-friendly interface, and backend logic to process user inputs and calculate carbon emissions using established emissions factors. We focused on keeping the design clean and accessible, while ensuring the calculations were accurate and meaningful. Throughout development, we prioritised modularity so that new activities and features can be added easily in the future.
One of our biggest challenges was ensuring that carbon calculations were both accurate and simple enough for a hackathon project. Emissions data can vary depending on many factors, so we had to balance precision with usability. Time constraints also meant making careful decisions about feature scope, ensuring we delivered a solid core product rather than an overly complex system.
We’re proud that we successfully delivered a functional, user-friendly sustainability tool within a limited timeframe. The application clearly demonstrates how technology can be used to raise environmental awareness and promote positive behavioural change. We’re especially happy with how approachable the platform feels, even for users with no prior knowledge of carbon footprints.
Through this project, we learned how to translate abstract environmental data into something tangible and meaningful for users. We also gained valuable experience working as a team under pressure, making trade-offs, and rapidly prototyping a real-world solution. Additionally, we deepened our understanding of sustainability metrics and the importance of clear data communication.
Next, we plan to expand the platform with more detailed activity categories, personalised recommendations, and long-term tracking so users can monitor progress over time. We’d also like to integrate real-world APIs and potentially add AI-driven insights to provide smarter, more personalised sustainability suggestions. Ultimately, our goal is to evolve this project into a scalable tool that helps people make greener choices every day.
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