How to reduce it
- Train rather than plane whenever possible: on Paris-Lyon the gap is huge.
- A mostly vegetarian, seasonal, local menu.
- Hire and reuse decor rather than buying it, and limit single-use goodies.
- Choose a venue reachable by public transport, and share transfers.
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Method and sources
Factors come from the ADEME Base Carbone (open API data.ademe.fr), Agribalyse for meals and Nos Gestes Climat for hotels, accessed on 24 October 2026. For electricity, France uses the ADEME 2024 value; every other country uses the carbon intensity published by Ember (latest available year). A glass of wine counts as 12.5 cl, a beer 25 cl, a coffee 10 cl. Venue energy is an order of magnitude: average consumption of cafés, hotels and restaurants per hour and per m². Decor and goodies entered in euros use ADEME monetary ratios (2023). Lines marked "Dare-Dare estimate" have no official factor.
| Factor | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| High-speed train TGV (mainland France) | 0.00293 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone (Base Empreinte), élément 43256, TGV 2022, InfoGES SNCF, statut Valide générique, incertitude 20 % |
| TER regional train (average traction) | 0.0277 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43255, TER 2022, InfoGES SNCF, incertitude 60 % |
| RER and Transilien suburban rail (Île-de-France) | 0.00978 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43254, RER et transilien 2022, RATP - SNCF, incertitude 20 % |
| Coach (diesel) | 0.0376 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43740, Autocar gazole, validité 2026, incertitude 60 % |
| Passenger car, fleet average, per vehicle-km | 0.256 kgCO2e/km (véhicule) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43791, Voiture, motorisation moyenne, 2023, validité 2026, incertitude 60 % |
| Taxi / ride-hailing: average car with a single passenger (Dare-Dare estimate, no dedicated official factor). | ||
| Aircraft 101-220 seats, under 500 km (jet), with contrails | 0.289 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43745, validité 2026, incertitude 70 %, frontière AVEC trainées |
| Aircraft 101-220 seats, 500-1,000 km, with contrails (short-haul) | 0.225 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43743, validité 2026, incertitude 70 %, frontière AVEC trainées |
| Aircraft 101-220 seats, 1,000-2,000 km, with contrails (medium-haul, e.g. Paris-Marrakech) | 0.185 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43741, validité 2026, incertitude 70 %, frontière AVEC trainées |
| Aircraft 101-220 seats, 2,000-5,000 km, with contrails | 0.167 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43747, validité 2026, incertitude 70 %, frontière AVEC trainées |
| Aircraft 101-220 seats, over 5,000 km, with contrails (long-haul) | 0.178 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43749, validité 2026, incertitude 70 %, frontière AVEC trainées |
| Hotel night in France, breakfast included | 9.91 kgCO2e/nuit | Nos Gestes Climat, valeur de départ de la formule 9,91 x (1 - 30 %) |
| Hotel outside France: French value, as no per-country figure is published (Dare-Dare estimate, probably underestimated where electricity is more carbon-intensive than in France). | ||
| Vegetarian meal | 0.85 kgCO2e/repas | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 (mise à jour 15/01/2025) |
| Vegan meal | 0.54 kgCO2e/repas | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 (mise à jour 15/01/2025), liste des équivalents |
| Meal with white meat (chicken) | 1.46 kgCO2e/repas | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 : page « Repas avec du poulet » ouverte, repas = 150 g de poulet, 300 g de légumes, 7 g d'huile d'olive, 200 g de dessert moyen, 50 g de pain |
| Meal with salmon | 1.46 kgCO2e/repas | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 |
| Meal with red meat (beef) | 4.97 kgCO2e/repas | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 |
| Wine | 1.27 kgCO2e/litre | Impact CO2 (ADEME), Agribalyse 3.2 : page ouverte, dont emballage 0,68, agriculture 0,3, transport 0,23 |
| Beer | 1.35 kgCO2e (unité à confirmer, probablement par litre) | Impact CO2 (ADEME), liste des équivalents |
| Cocktail: treated as 15 cl of wine (Dare-Dare estimate, no official per-cocktail factor). | ||
| Coffee | 0.64 kgCO2e (unité à confirmer, probablement par litre) | Impact CO2 (ADEME), liste des équivalents |
| Annual average electricity use, all uses, tertiary (cafés, hotels, restaurants) | 254 kWh/(m².an) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 23631, statistiques territoriales tertiaire, France continentale |
| Electricity, mainland France grid mix 2024 (consumption) | 0.0519 kgCO2e/kWh | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43642, mix moyen 2024, frontière consommation |
| Electricity outside France: carbon intensity of each country's grid mix, latest published year (2023 to 2025 depending on the country) | from 0.0208 to 1.3063 kgCO2e/kWh | Ember, Yearly Electricity Data (licence CC BY 4.0) |
| Spend-based ratio: furniture (2023) | 231 kgCO2e/k€ HT (2023) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43360 |
| Spend-based ratio: textiles, clothing, leather (2023) | 271 kgCO2e/k€ HT (2023) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43405 |
| Spend-based ratio: printing and reproduction (2023) | 210 kgCO2e/k€ HT (2023) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43575 |
| Spend-based ratio: rubber and plastic products (2023) | 312 kgCO2e/k€ HT (2023) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43415 |
| Spend-based ratio: other manufactured products (2023) | 231 kgCO2e/k€ HT (2023) | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43365 |
| Cotton T-shirt | 5.2 kgCO2e/unité | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 27044, T-shirt en coton |
| Sweatshirt (cotton) | 27.4 kgCO2e/unité | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 27049 |
| Average car, per passenger-km (mixed use) | 0.16 kgCO2e/passager.km | ADEME Base Carbone, élément 43809, Voiture moyenne, Mixte, 2023, incertitude 60 % |
Frequently asked questions
How is an event's carbon footprint calculated?
From emission factors in the ADEME Base Carbone, Agribalyse for meals and Nos Gestes Climat for hotels. The result is an indicative, non-certified estimate, with uncertainties of 20 to 70% depending on the line.
Which items are included?
Guest travel, accommodation, meals and drinks, the venue (surface and hours of use), then decor, printing and goodies.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. You can leave your email if you want to receive the breakdown of your estimate.
How can you reduce an event's carbon footprint?
Train rather than plane whenever possible: on Paris-Lyon the gap is huge. A mostly vegetarian, seasonal, local menu. Hire and reuse decor rather than buying it, and limit single-use goodies. Choose a venue reachable by public transport, and share transfers.