Benchmarks answer the question that crosses the mind of many leaders, from business owners, to sustainability officers: ‘Are we where we should be?’ Not if you’re judging in a vacuum. What counts is how your numbers stack up against the average carbon footprint by industry—because steel isn’t the same as baking bread, and a data centre isn’t a dairy farm. Carbon emissions by industry shift with products, processes, and the energy you buy, which is why industry carbon footprint benchmarks matter: They turn raw tonnes into context and help leaders see whether they’re leading or lagging.
Street view from behind a man, with small shops on the left and office buildings on the right. AI generated picture.
Take manufacturing compared to hospitality. A factory producing cement or steel will naturally have a very different emissions profile than a hotel welcoming guests. That’s why looking at carbon emissions by industry is crucial. Without context, numbers are meaningless: A few thousand tonnes of CO₂ might seem excessive in one industry but be considered relatively efficient in another.
This is where industry carbon footprint benchmarks come into play. They provide a way for leaders to understand how their operations stack up against sector norms, highlight areas for improvement, and signal progress to stakeholders. Whether you run a logistics company, a construction firm, or a digital services business, knowing how your footprint compares within your sector can answer the all-important question: ‘Am I doing enough?’
Benchmarks don’t just help companies understand their current standing; they also lay the groundwork for smarter strategies and investment decisions. In a market where clients, regulators, and investors are watching closely, businesses that measure, compare, and reduce their emissions gain more than just environmental credibility—they strengthen their competitive edge.
Average carbon footprint by industry: Where does yours stand?
Every business leader wants to know how they compare to competitors’ sustainability efforts. The answer depends on the industry you operate in. A carbon footprint differs so widely from industry to industry that numbers are meaningless without context. That’s why looking at industry carbon footprint benchmarks matters—they provide the reference points executives need to measure progress, spot inefficiencies, and build credibility with investors and regulators.
Manufacturing: The heavyweight of emissions
The manufacturing sector carbon footprint is among the largest contributors worldwide. Producing steel releases around 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of product, while cement emits roughly 0.6 tonnes CO₂ per tonne of cement. These two materials alone are responsible for more than 15% of global carbon emissions. For a mid-sized cement plant producing 500,000 tonnes annually, that means locking in about 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ every year. So when looking at what is a good carbon footprint for a manufacturing company, any operation that can get below these sector averages is already ahead of the curve.
Read more: Carbon footprint offsetting strategies: How leading companies neutralise their emissions
Agriculture and food: What you produce makes a difference
An agriculture carbon footprint depends heavily on what’s being produced. Beef is the outlier, with a footprint of 60–100 kg CO₂ per kilogram of meat. Cheese is about 20 kg, pork around 12 kg, poultry 7–10 kg, and rice roughly 4–5 kg. In comparison, legumes, like peas, average just 1 kg CO₂ per kilogram. This spread shows why food companies need to benchmark carefully: A beef-heavy portfolio has a far higher footprint than one focused on plant proteins. For agribusiness executives, understanding these differences is the first step to reshaping supply chains and communicating real impact reductions.
Aerial view of a farm with cows grazing on rolling green hills under a bright summer sky. AI generated picture.
Transport and logistics: Efficiency depends on mode
Transportation industry emissions are responsible for nearly a third of global CO₂ output, but the numbers look very different depending on the mode of transport. Shipping a tonne of cargo by sea produces about 12 g CO₂ per tonne-kilometre, rail averages 22–24 g, and inland waterways come in at around 23 g. In comparison, trucks emit 130 g or more, and air freight, the most carbon-intensive option, comes in at 500–600 g per tonne-kilometre. For logistics managers, these benchmarks show the scale of opportunity: shifting a shipment from air to sea can reduce emissions by more than 90%.
Read more: How to reduce your business’ travel emissions through nature
ICT & digital services: Small actions, big totals
The ICT industry carbon footprint often flies under the radar because individual actions may seem minor. Streaming an hour of video emits roughly 30–60 g of CO₂, and transferring 1 GB of data consumes about 20–50 g. But with billions of users and trillions of gigabytes flowing across networks, the sector’s impact adds up quickly—to between 1.5% and 4% of global emissions. Data centres alone consume over 1% of the world’s electricity. Benchmarking here isn’t about tonnes of cement or steel; it’s about measuring efficiency per user, per GB, or per hour of service.
Read more: Why scope 3 emissions are your biggest blind spot—and what to do about it
Construction and real estate: Built-in carbon costs
The carbon footprint benchmarks for construction industry projects reveal the hidden carbon in every building. A new office today averages 1,400 kg of CO₂ per square metre of floor space before anyone even moves in. Best practice targets for 2030 call for reducing this to 750 kg per square metre or less. Residential buildings tell a similar story, with current averages near 1,200 kg per square metre and future goals around 625 kg. Do you want to know how to benchmark carbon emissions in construction? Start with embodied carbon in steel and cement—the materials that dominate footprints—then factor in operational energy use, which can add another 50–150 kg per square metre per year. Developers who design for lower embodied carbon are setting themselves up to meet tomorrow’s standards today.
Urban view framed by trees, showing modern residential buildings. AI generated picture.
Hospitality: Counting carbon per guest
Hotels and resorts show just how widely carbon emissions by industry can vary, even within a single sector. The average hotel carbon footprint per night is about 10–30 kg of CO₂ per occupied room in most European and North American cities. Eco-hotels in Costa Rica, powered by renewables, can run as low as 4–5 kg per room-night. At the other extreme, luxury resorts in the Maldives, dependent on diesel generators, exceed 150 kg per night. For hospitality leaders, adopting the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and tracking emissions per room-night is now the gold standard for benchmarking and improvement.
Moving beyond comparison
Benchmarks are valuable, but they’re only half the story. Knowing the average carbon footprint by industry gives you context—it tells you whether your sector is generally high- or low-emitting. It highlights that manufacturing companies might be judged against tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel, while hotels measure kilograms of CO₂ per occupied room. But benchmarks don’t tell you your story.
Read more: Industry carbon footprints: transport, events, and celebrities
Every business is different. Your supply chains, energy mix, building design, or product portfolio mean that your actual emissions can diverge sharply from industry averages. Two companies in the same sector can sit on opposite sides of the benchmark. Without measurement, you don’t know whether you’re leading the pack or dragging behind. That’s why the question, ‘What is a good or normal carbon footprint for a business?’, can only be answered by combining benchmarks with real data from your own operations.
This is exactly where the Green Earth CO₂ Expert tool comes in. It goes beyond broad averages to measure your actual emissions across scopes and activities. With our free and easy-to-use tool, you get:
- Effortless setup — create an account and add multiple users to collaborate.
- Flexible scope — add locations and emission scopes to cover your full footprint.
- Automatic calculations — use built-in emission factors to get accurate results fast.
- Clear dashboards — explore intuitive breakdowns of where your emissions come from.
- Expert validation — have your data reviewed by our specialists for credibility.
- Direct compensation — purchase carbon units from high-integrity projects and receive official certificates.
- Audit-ready reports — download your carbon footprint report and improve your sustainability reporting.
- Share with confidence — get communication materials to present results and share your progress with stakeholders.
Green Earth CO₂ Expert tool.
But measurement is just the starting point. The real power lies in what happens next. Once you know your footprint, you can act: cut energy waste, choose lower-carbon suppliers, rethink logistics routes, or redesign products. And for the emissions that can’t be eliminated immediately, you can compensate with nature-based solutions. By supporting reforestation, habitat restoration, and other projects, you turn unavoidable emissions into tangible environmental and social benefits.
Read more: Carbon footprint measurement: a practical guide
This is how businesses move beyond comparison. Benchmarks tell you the standards; measurement tells you your position; and action—both reduction and compensation—is what sets leaders apart. The companies that thrive in the coming years won’t be the ones content to be average. They’ll be the ones who measure, improve, and invest in solutions that create lasting impact.
So don’t stop at asking how your sector performs. Take the next step. Use our CO₂ Expert tool today to see where you stand, benchmark against your peers, and start building a strategy that goes beyond industry averages.
From benchmarks to action: Turning numbers into impact
Understanding the average carbon footprint by industry and comparing your performance to industry carbon footprint benchmarks gives you a valuable perspective—but it’s only the beginning. Whether you’re looking at the manufacturing sector carbon footprint, transportation industry emissions, or the average hotel carbon footprint per night, what matters most is not how close you are to the average, but how far you can go in reducing and managing your impact.
For business leaders, the real opportunity lies in moving beyond simply knowing the numbers. Measurement, reduction, and compensation are the steps that transform benchmarks into a competitive advantage. Customers, regulators, and investors are watching for companies that don’t just meet basic standards but demonstrate leadership by cutting emissions year after year.
Green Earth CO₂ Expert tool.
The first step is knowing where you stand. That’s why we built the Green Earth CO₂ Expert tool—a solution designed to calculate your footprint, show you how it compares with peers in your sector, and guide you towards credible reduction and compensation strategies. By using it, you gain clarity, credibility, and a pathway to outperforming industry norms.
Don’t settle for being average. Start measuring today, and take your business from comparison to action, and from action to leadership.
