# How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a CCTV camera?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/cctv-camera-carbon-footprint-per-camera

Most of the footprint is in bought-in electronics: use supplier figures for the image sensor board, lens and housing. Add surface mount and assembly energy, then divide the plant's energy by cameras made.

## Bought-in parts

- Image sensor, processor board and IR LEDs.
- Lens assembly.
- Plastic or aluminium housing, cable and bracket.

## Making

- Surface mount assembly if done in-house.
- Camera assembly and focusing.
- Testing and packing.

## Per camera

Report per camera by type, since a metal-bodied outdoor camera carries more housing than an indoor dome.

## Worked example: plant energy per camera (one month)

- Electricity: 30,000 kWh x 0.710 = 21,300 kg CO2
- Cameras made: 40,000
- Plant total: 21,300 / 40,000 = 0.532 kg CO2 per camera
- Add boards, lens and housing for the full figure

Inputs are illustrative; use your own bills and production records.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

- [Product carbon footprint calculator](https://senseible.earth/calculators/product-carbon-footprint)
- [PCB assembly footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/pcb-assembly-carbon-footprint-per-board)
- [Aluminium die casting footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/aluminium-die-casting-carbon-footprint-per-kg)
- [Automobile industry](https://senseible.earth/industries/automobile)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Product Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/standards), [ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org)](https://www.iso.org), [IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults)](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol2.html), [CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-database/?lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-10-21.