A Comparative Analysis of The Carbon Footprint of Middle Income and Low Income Households in Two Townships in Ndola, Zambia

Abstract

Zambia is considered vulnerable to the adverse impacts of human-induced climate change and, as a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Zambia has felt the need to combat increased national green house gas (GHG) emissions through Government initiatives. In order to successfully reduce GHG emissions, reliable carbon footprint (CF) estimates are required for use in national emission reduction strategy formulation. In this context, the study’s main objective was to determine the CFs at household level in two townships in Ndola, Zambia. The findings show that middle income families had a higher CF than low income families. Indirect emissions contributed just under 50 per cent of total household GHG emissions in both income groups. The study concludes that a family’s CF increased with an increase in household income.