Carbon Footprint Estimator Api

I'm not a developer.

I can't write code from scratch. I don't have a computer science degree. I learned most of what I know from YouTube videos, online articles, and sheer curiosity.

I'm just a guy from the Philippines with a big dream and very little resources.

A few months ago I made a decision that most people thought was crazy. I sold my laptop — my main tool, my lifeline — to fund what I believed could become something real. Not because I had a guaranteed plan. But because I knew that if I didn't bet on myself nobody else would.

With that money gone and only my phone left I had to figure out a different way to build.

The Problem I Found

I started researching what problems the world was being forced to solve right now. Not trends. Not hype. Actual mandated problems with regulatory deadlines attached.

I found carbon reporting.

The EU just passed CSRD — forcing 50,000 companies to report their carbon emissions starting now. The SEC is pushing climate disclosure rules in the US. Supply chains are being pressured globally. Every company from logistics firms to e-commerce platforms needs to measure and report their carbon footprint.

And the tools that exist? They cost hundreds of dollars per month. They're built for enterprise. They require sales calls and onboarding sessions.

Small businesses, startups, and developers in emerging markets — people like me — are completely priced out.

That was my opening.

Building With What I Had

I had no computer. I had my phone. I had Claude AI and Replit.

I spent weeks learning everything I could about carbon calculation methodology — the GHG Protocol, GLEC v3, ISO 14083, EPA emission factors, DEFRA data. I read documentation. I asked questions. I took notes on my phone.

Then one evening I opened Replit on my phone and started building.

I typed prompts. The AI wrote code. I tested it. Fixed errors. Tested again. Added features. Debugged on a 6 inch screen with my thumbs.

By the end of that evening I had a live API returning real carbon calculations based on official scientific data.

5 endpoints. 6 activity types. 20 countries. Scope 1/2/3 breakdown. Plain English equivalents. GLEC v3 compliant freight calculations.

Built. On. My. Phone.

What It Does

The Carbon Footprint Estimator API lets any developer add carbon emission calculations to any application in minutes.

Send electricity usage — get back CO2e in kg.

Send flight details — get back emissions with radiative forcing.

Send freight data — get back GLEC v3 compliant calculations.

No consultants. No spreadsheets. No enterprise contracts.

Just an API call.

It supports CSRD compliance, SEC climate disclosure, and GHG Protocol reporting. Every response includes the emission factor used, the data source, and the methodology — making outputs audit-ready.

And it starts completely free.

Why This Matters To Me

I'm from the Philippines. I know what it means to build without resources. I know what it means to watch opportunities pass because the tools are too expensive or the barrier to entry is too high.

This API is my answer to that.

If a developer in Manila, Lagos, Jakarta, or Dhaka wants to add carbon reporting to their sustainability app — they shouldn't need a $500/month enterprise contract to do it.

They should be able to call an API.

What's Next

This is version 1. Day one.

I'm building toward a full suite of sustainability APIs — ESG scoring, carbon tax calculators, net zero pathway planners, supply chain emission trackers.

One product at a time. One customer at a time.

I don't have a team. I don't have funding. I don't have a fancy office.

I have a phone, a vision, and the belief that the right idea at the right time — executed with everything you have — is enough.

Climate accountability is not optional anymore.

And neither is building something about it.

Carbon Footprint Estimator API

Live on RapidAPI. Free tier available.

Built by Kyle Javvy Valdez. Philippines.