New Tool for Policy Makers

Most carbon calculators focus on individual footprints: what we eat, how we travel, how we power our homes. But these individual, downstream choices are largely shaped upstream — by policymakers, city planners, companies, hospitals, universities and other institutions whose decisions can affect thousands or even millions of people.

To help Policy Makers, the World Resources Institute has created the Climate Intervention Calculator: a tool that estimates the projected emissions-reduction impact of programs and policies designed to encourage lower-carbon behaviors at scale.

The need is clear: WRI research found that when individuals try to change behavior without supportive systems, they unlock only about 10% of the emissions reductions theoretically possible. The other 90% depends on the policies and infrastructure that make low-carbon choices easier, more affordable and more accessible.

The calculator draws on WRI research showing that not all climate actions — or behavior-change tools — have the same impact. It helps decision-makers compare interventions to identify both the highest-impact changes and the most effective tools to support them. 

The tool allows one to compare various strategies and incentives for reducing the carbon footprint of whole communities. Here is an example of the tool's output where two approaches for reducing animal product consumption are compared:

Try it yourself: WRI Climate Intervention Calculator!