The greenhouse gas footprint describes how much greenhouse gas is emitted as a result of national final expenditure. It distinguishes between emissions as a result of economic activity in the Netherlands intended for domestic consumption, and emissions attributed to imports intended for domestic consumption. Other emissions as a result of the production of goods and services intended for export are attributed to foreign consumption, and are not included in the Dutch footprint. The Dutch footprint thus includes all emissions as a result of Dutch final consumption by households and government, and investment.
The greenhouse gas footprint is based on an input-output analysis of air emission data. As calculations of environmental footprints are based on models and rely on available international data, the results are subject to a larger degree of uncertainty.