22/12/2025
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In discussions around climate change, and more broadly around reducing environmental impact, the terms carbon footprint and CO2 are often used interchangeably, even though they refer to very different concepts. Understanding these notions is essential to act effectively in a world where climate issues are becoming central, for citizens, businesses, and policymakers alike. This understanding not only helps measure our impact on the climate but also enables informed decisions to reduce it.
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At Dipli, we are convinced that the tech sector has a key role to play in reducing everyone’s carbon impact by more deeply integrating circular economy principles into products and services. That is why we work every day to develop solutions that simplify the circular tech value chain, through device trade-in for refurbishment and the sale of refurbished devices.
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👉 The purpose of this article is to give you all the keys to understand what CO2 and carbon footprint are, their sources, their consequences, and above all, what you can do at your own, at individual or professional level, to reduce them. We also explain how Dipli supports tech professionals in better integrating the circular economy into their practices and in reducing the environmental impact of the sector.
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What are the key basics to understand about CO2 and carbon footprint?
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1. What are CO2 and carbon footprint?
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While CO2 refers to a specific greenhouse gas, carbon footprint is a broader indicator that measures the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with a given activity. CO2 is therefore part of the carbon footprint, but it does not represent it on its own. Below are more detailed definitions to clearly distinguish between these two fundamental concepts.
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CO2 (carbon dioxide)
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas naturally present in the atmosphere. When emitted in excess by human activities, mainly through the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) in the energy, transport, and industrial sectors, it becomes one of the main drivers of global warming. Excess greenhouse gases intensify the natural greenhouse effect, leading to rising global temperatures and long-term impacts on the climate. Among these gases, CO2 is the most abundant, which is why climate change is often directly associated with CO2 emissions. -
Carbon footprint
The carbon footprint is a comprehensive indicator that measures all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both direct and indirect, generated by an individual, a company, an organisation, or a country. It includes not only CO2 but also other GHGs with strong climate impacts, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases are converted into CO2 equivalents (CO2e) to provide a common unit of measurement. This approach makes it possible to quantify the climate impact of an activity and to guide the implementation of emission reduction strategies at individual, collective, and territorial levels. -
2. What are the main sources of the average carbon footprint of a French and a European citizen?
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The main emission sources for a French citizen are as follows, in descending order:
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- 24% transport(cars, planes, etc.),
- 23% food (meat, beverages, fish, fruit and vegetables, etc.),
- 21% housing (energy consumption, waste generated, water, etc.),
- 13% public spending (administration, education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc.),
- 10% equipment (electronics, clothing, etc.),
- 9% other (sports, leisure activities, etc.).
Source: Climate change: key figures, SDES, November 2025. -
According to Insee, in 2024, France’s carbon footprint amounted to approximately 563 million tonnes of CO2e, including 99 Mt emitted directly by households (18%), 180 Mt from French economic activities (32%), and 284 Mt imported (50%). At an individual level, this represents a total of 8.2 tCO2e per French citizen.
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💡 This figure is down compared to 2023, when the total reached 583 Mt, representing a reduction of 20 Mt in France’s carbon footprint between 2023 and 2024 (-3.4%).
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Sources : Insee, Eurostat, Citepa, Douanes, OCDE ; traitements Insee-SDES 2025. -
On the european side, territorial greenhouse gas emissions across the 27 countries of the European Union amount to 10.7 tCO2e, representing a carbon footprint of 7.8 tCO2e per european citizen (source: Climate change: key figures, SDES, November 2025).
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💡 This environmental impact decreased by 3.8 tCO2e between 1990 and 2022, corresponding to a reduction of 27.1%.
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3. What are the environmental consequences of CO2e emissions per person?
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Greenhouse gas emissions do not only have a statistical impact: they lead to profound and observable changes to the environment on a global scale. These environmental consequences are multiple, interconnected, and affect both natural ecosystems and human systems. The main observed effects include:
- - Disruption of local climates, with more frequent heatwaves, prolonged droughts, and extreme precipitation in certain regions,
- - Melting of ice caps and glaciers, leading to reduced reflection of solar radiation and further accelerating global warming,
- - Sea level rise caused by thermal expansion due to global warming, accelerating extreme events such as flooding, erosion, and landslides,
- - Loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystems driven by changes in natural habitats and ocean acidification,
- - Reduced availability of freshwater resources, mainly due to agriculture, industry, and human consumption.
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💡 It is important to note that greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere today influence the climate over the next 10 to 20 years. Our actions, both positive and negative, therefore take time to be reflected at a global scale.
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It is with this understanding, and in light of the environmental consequences of our GHG emissions, that limiting our carbon footprint becomes essential to ensure a more sustainable future. To achieve this, concrete solutions exist to reduce our impact on the climate.
What solutions exist to reduce carbon footprint and CO2e emissions?
1. What is the triangle of inaction, and how can we break out of it?
The triangle of inaction is a powerful metaphor that helps explain why, despite growing awareness of climate challenges, concrete action to reduce CO2 emissions and carbon footprint often remains insufficient at a large scale.
💡 It illustrates a systemic dynamic in which three key actors — citizens, businesses, and policymakers — shift responsibility onto one another, resulting in collective paralysis.
So how can this deadlock be overcome? First and foremost, it requires recognising the shared responsibility of these three actors in addressing climate issues, as each plays a decisive role in reducing CO2e at a global level. It is also essential to understand that these stakeholders influence one another’s decisions, which can create a virtuous circle of positive climate action as soon as one of them takes the first step. In other words, everyone holds a degree of agency at their own level, capable of triggering structural change.
2. What actions can I take to reduce my CO2 emissions?
By combining everyday actions with support for collective initiatives that structure the ecological transition at scale, it is possible to significantly reduce one’s carbon footprint. Below are the most effective levers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, grouped into two complementary categories:
| 🏠 High-impact everyday actions | 🏛️ Supporting collective strategies for a sustainable transition |
Prioritise walking, cycling, public transport, or carpooling. |
Stay informed, vote, and support local and national initiatives that promote the ecological transition (sustainable mobility, energy sobriety, etc.). For example, in 2024, France accelerated building energy renovations and expanded low-carbon mobility solutions. |
Reduce red meat consumption (according to Ademe, one red-meat meal is equivalent to five meals with white meat and fourteen vegetarian meals). |
As a consumer or professional, support committed companies, help shift your organisation toward a low-carbon approach, and integrate GHG emission reductions into a tailored climate strategy aligned with the company’s business model. |
Lower heating by 1°C, insulate your home if you own it, use energy-efficient appliances, and switch to a green energy provider with a recognised label. |
Associations, citizen groups, neighbourhood initiatives, or energy cooperatives are powerful drivers for scaling individual actions at the community level. |
Prioritise repair, trade-in your devices to give them a second life, and choose a refurbished smartphone instead of a new one (saving 81 kg of raw materials, 55 g of WEEE, and 21 m³ of water equivalent, according to Ademe). |
Encourage policies and initiatives that integrate circularity into high-impact sectors such as electronics, fashion, and construction. |
3. What role do trade-in and refurbished device sales play in improving carbon footprint?
In a world where the production of electronic goods remains one of the most polluting activities, device trade-in and the sale of refurbished products stand out as concrete solutions to reduce the digital sector’s carbon footprint. These practices help avoid new production, optimise resource use, and extend the lifespan of equipment.
💡 Why these circular practices in the tech sector matter, according to Ademe:
- Choosing a refurbished device helps avoid the extraction of 76.9 kg of raw materials that would otherwise be required to manufacture a new product.
- This same action prevents the generation of an additional 55.75 g of electronic waste.
- It also saves an average of 22.9 m³ of water equivalent — a significant volume in a context of increasing water stress.
These solutions apply to all three levels of the triangle of inaction: citizens, businesses, and public authorities. They demonstrate that everyone can contribute to scaling refurbished usage and to building more virtuous, circular models.
👉 At Dipli, we support telecom operators, retailers, and manufacturers in optimising the second life of tech products through three tailor-made solutions designed to streamline the circular value chain:
- Trade-in: deploy your own customised device trade-in solution, in-store and/or online, with a smooth, fast, secure, and price-competitive experience.
- Refurbished on Demand: focus on your core business while we manage the entire refurbished device process — from sourcing to logistics and after-sales service.
- Market Data Lab: analyse your performance, pricing trends, and the trade-in and refurbished markets thanks to Dipli’s data infrastructure, enabling you to build your own dashboards.
According to the Dipli x Ipsos 2025 study, 64% of surveyed Europeans have never traded in their smartphone. This key figure highlights the largely untapped potential of trade-in across Europe, a critical lever that Dipli has made it its mission to activate at scale by supporting all tech players in building a more sustainable, measurable, and accessible circular economy. The study also reveals that two-thirds of Europeans are ready to switch to refurbished devices. This shows that consumers are on the path to conversion and that activating the right levers is now all it takes to close the sale.
Dipli has developed its services to help tech professionals scale their trade-in and refurbishment programs. Are you ready to take the next step in your circular journey?
Dipli simplifies the second life of electronic products.
An all-in-one tool for distributors, leasing companies, telecom operators and companies to manage the entire value chain in one place.
The platform connects the electronics industry to secondary markets; simply and securely. Trade-in and return management, refurbishment, omni-channel purchasing and distribution: Dipli covers and simplifies all stages of the circular economy.
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