The carbon footprints of 41,814 products sold in India
We calculated a screening carbon footprint for every product in our catalogue: 41,814 products from 489 brands, from T-shirts and sarees to shoes, bags and packaging. This page sets out what the figures show, how they were made and where they fall short.
Finding 1: typical footprints differ widely by kind of product
The median whole-life footprint per item, with the middle half of products, for each kind of product with enough data. Compare within a row, not across rows: a jacket and a pair of socks do different jobs.
| Kind of product | Products | Median, kg CO₂e | Middle half | Largest stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresses | 3,536 | 10.2 | 9.47–10.2 | Production (49%) |
| T-shirts | 3,223 | 5.01 | 4.51–5.36 | Production (47%) |
| Jumpsuits and co-ord sets | 2,129 | 14.4 | 12.8–14.4 | Production (50%) |
| Trousers | 1,563 | 12.1 | 11.5–13.0 | Production (51%) |
| Shirts | 1,386 | 6.84 | 6.53–7.33 | Production (51%) |
| Shorts and skirts | 997 | 7.03 | 6.53–7.33 | Production (49%) |
| Jackets | 854 | 22.8 | 20.3–22.8 | Production (50%) |
| Bags | 777 | 7.64 | 4.96–9.42 | Production (74%) |
| Sweatshirts | 695 | 12.7 | 11.1–13.1 | Production (43%) |
| Sarees | 629 | 17.2 | 17.2–71.4 | Production (50%) |
| Shoes and other footwear | 422 | 13.3 | 13.3–14.8 | Production (52%) |
| Pouches | 380 | 3.11 | 2.68–3.37 | Production (80%) |
| Jeans | 366 | 16.5 | 6.65–18.6 | Production (53%) |
| Tote bags | 359 | 6.54 | 4.95–7.53 | Production (75%) |
| Crossbody bags | 344 | 6.59 | 5.91–7.73 | Production (73%) |
| Socks | 342 | 1.53 | 1.46–1.60 | Production (36%) |
| Scarves | 290 | 11.3 | 4.51–18.1 | Raw materials (67%) |
| Wallets | 250 | 3.30 | 3.04–3.74 | Production (79%) |
| Underwear | 200 | 2.40 | 2.35–2.65 | Production (47%) |
| Sandals | 198 | 10.5 | 9.20–11.0 | Production (70%) |
| Laptop bags | 160 | 8.50 | 8.05–12.1 | Production (71%) |
| Backpacks | 141 | 10.1 | 10.1–14.4 | Production (70%) |
| Packaging boxes | 119 | 0.28 | 0.23–0.28 | Raw materials (68%) |
| Sneakers | 98 | 13.6 | 13.0–14.9 | Production (70%) |
Finding 2: production is most often the largest stage
For each product with a whole-life figure, we looked at which life-cycle stage was largest. Share of products by their largest stage:
Production covers spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing and finishing, and making up, mostly the factories' electricity and heat. Use covers washing and drying at home, for clothing.
Finding 3: the change with the biggest saving
For each product our calculator tests common changes and reports the one with the largest saving. How often each change came out on top:
These are modelled changes, not reductions any product has achieved.
Finding 4: the most common materials
Share of products that contain each material:
See the emission factor and its source for each one in carbon footprint by material.
Finding 5: listings leave big gaps
Product listings rarely give weights, factories or energy, so most figures rest on typical values. Share of products by data confidence:
15,415 listings gave no weight, so their footprint is per kilogram of product, up to the factory gate, and is left out of the per-item figures above.
Method and limits
- Scope. Every product listed in the Made for Planet catalogue at the time of the last data build. These are products sold in India, many by small and mid-sized brands; they are not a sample of the whole market.
- Method. Materials, weights and country of making were read from each listing. Gaps were filled with named typical values. Each figure follows the ISO 14067 method with emission factors from cited public sources; see our methodology and the emission factor library.
- What the figures are. Screening estimates, not measurements of any factory, and not checked by an independent reviewer. They show the likely size of a footprint and where it comes from.
- Comparisons. Medians compare like with like only. We do not say any product or brand is better than another.
- Updates. The figures on this page are recalculated every time the catalogue is rebuilt.
Quoting this study: please name “Made for Planet Carbon” and link to this page. For questions, write to hello@missionsustainability.org.