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The world has a limited carbon budget to keep warming below 1.5°C. Find out your fair share, how fast you are using it, and when it runs out at your current pace.
Climate science often cites a remaining carbon budget — how much CO₂ we can still emit globally while limiting warming to 1.5°C. This tool turns that idea into a personal allowance you can compare to national averages. For how we convert activity data to CO₂e, see our methodology; for footprint reduction ideas, browse learn.
Age: 36 years old · ~41 years remaining
United States average: 15.5t/yr · 1.5°C target: 2.3t/yr
At 15.5t/yr, you need to reduce by 13.2t (85%) to reach the 1.5°C fair-share target of 2.3t/yr.
Fair share of the global 1.5°C budget (250 Gt CO₂ ÷ 8.1B people)
At your current pace of 15.5t/yr
39 years before life expectancy
You will emit 636t over your remaining lifetime vs 31t budget
Based on 41 remaining years at 15.5t/yr
Life exp. ~2067
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Browse Eco PicksA personal carbon budget is your fair share of the remaining global carbon budget — the total amount of CO₂ humanity can still emit while keeping global warming below a specific temperature target (usually 1.5°C). The IPCC estimated roughly 500 Gt of CO₂ remained from 2020 for a 50% chance of staying below 1.5°C. Divided equally among the world’s ~8.1 billion people, each person has roughly 30.9 tonnes of CO₂ as their remaining lifetime budget.
The remaining carbon budget is based on the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6, 2021). Starting from ~500 Gt CO₂ in 2020 for a 50% probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C, we subtract approximately 40 Gt per year of global emissions. By 2026, roughly 250 Gt CO₂ remains. Dividing this equally by the world population gives each person about 30.9 tonnes for their entire remaining lifetime. Your personal budget then depends on your age and expected remaining lifespan.
If humanity exceeds the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C, global average temperatures will rise above that threshold, likely triggering more severe climate impacts: more extreme heat events, accelerated ice sheet loss, higher sea level rise, disrupted ecosystems, and increased food and water insecurity. Exceeding 1.5°C does not mean instant catastrophe, but each fraction of a degree increases risks. Some impacts, such as permafrost thaw or coral reef loss, may become irreversible.
The global average is approximately 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ per person per year, but this varies enormously by country. The average American emits about 15.5 tonnes, Canadians about 14.2 tonnes, Australians about 15.0 tonnes, EU citizens about 6.8 tonnes, UK residents about 5.5 tonnes, and Indians about 1.9 tonnes. To stay within a 1.5°C budget, global per-person emissions need to fall to roughly 2.3 tonnes per year by 2030.
It depends on how often you fly and what else you do to reduce emissions. A single round-trip economy flight from London to New York produces about 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ per passenger — over half of the 2.3 tonne annual target for 1.5°C. Occasional flying can fit within a carbon budget if you significantly reduce emissions elsewhere (plant-based diet, renewable energy, less driving), but frequent flying makes it very difficult to stay on track. Reducing flights is one of the highest-impact individual actions.
The 1.5°C carbon budget is much tighter than the 2°C budget. While the remaining budget for 1.5°C (50% probability) is approximately 250 Gt CO₂ from 2026, the 2°C budget is around 900 Gt — roughly 3.6 times larger. However, the difference in climate impacts between 1.5°C and 2°C is substantial: at 2°C, virtually all coral reefs are lost, sea level rise is significantly higher, and extreme weather events become more frequent and intense.