"Carbon Footprint"
Created by a UK advertising agency in partnership with BP (those slick oil and gas maestros). What was initially intended to shift blame and instill guilt took an unexpected turn, igniting an Environmental Revolution.
Enter the captivating saga of the carbon footprint, Picture this: the term itself didn't magically appear from thin air, conjured by some environmental wizard. Oh no, it was birthed by the minds at the renowned advertising agency, Ogilvy and Mather. And who were they working their magic for? None other than BP, those slick oil and gas maestros.
Cast your mind back to 2003, when BP unleashed their audacious ad campaign upon the unsuspecting public. Picture the scene: bewildered pedestrians caught off-guard, bombarded with thought-provoking questions about their carbon footprints. It was a social experiment on steroids!
At first, we were the stars of the show, made to feel like the villains of the climate crisis. But hold onto your hats, because when the Paris Agreement stormed onto the scene in 2015, the plot took a turn! Suddenly, the spotlight shifted to those corporate giants, particularly the slippery oil and gas players. The rediclous irony in BP's campaign simply couldn't be ignored.
Amidst the climate chaos, a few courageous companies emerged as environmental warriors. Armed with spreadsheets and calculators, they embarked on a noble mission: achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, leaving their competitors coughing in their eco-friendly dust.
As the world stated to take notice, more and more companies joined the carbon footsie shuffle. Regulators and investors demanded full disclosure, turning it into the hottest trend since avocado toast. Every entity had to flaunt their carbon footprints, whether they fancied it or not. It was a global emissions showdown, with companies scrambling to claim the lowest numbers.
Just so you know calculating a carbon footprint is no leisurely stroll in the park. It involves number-crunching, multiplying emissions by fancy factors, and navigating the treacherous maze of environmental impact. It's like solving a Rubik's Cube, but with a twist of green. Thankfully, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol swooped in to save the day. After years of brainstorming, this rulebook emerged, providing standardised regulations for emissions of all scopes—direct, indirect, and everything in between. It's like watching a well-choreographed ballet of emissions!
And there you have it, my ocean-dwelling, photo-following friends—a tale of carbon footprint. From guilt-tripping individuals to emissions-tangoing corporations, it's been one heck of a thrilling ride. But let's not forget our mission still exists: to save our beloved planet from the perils of climate change. It's time for each and every one of us to step up and reduce our footprints. So remember, even though an advertising agency used it to make us feel guilty, we still need to forge a greener future before all this goes to shit. ;)
