This calculator, which is openly available on the website of alumnus Oriol Uroz, is a tool that allows primary school pupils to know their environmental impact through a simple test that can be carried out in class with the teacher's guidance. The aim of this form is to find out about children's habits on subjects as diverse as the means of transport they use to go to school, where they usually go on holiday and the amount of meat they eat at home.

“The ecological footprint is measured in terms as complex as tonnes of carbon, kilowatt hours or global hectares. My intention was to transform these scientific concepts into a clear and understandable language for students,” explains Oriol Uroz. In his calculator, the ecological footprint is measured on consumed planets.

According to his study and research on Earth’s biocapacity, a person can consume 1.6 global hectares of natural resources throughout their life to leave a ‘zero’ footprint on the planet. Therefore, if the test result is 1 planet, that child would be in responsible consumption; if it is superior, it would be spending more resources than the Earth can regenerate.

“This is a tool that empowers students because they see that, by modifying some small daily actions, they can reverse the results of their consumption,” adds the creator of the calculator. Uroz was able to implement this test in a semi-private school in Sabadell, in a year 6 class. “The reception was very positive, the students were very motivated,” he says.

As for the results, the vast majority of children consumed 2 planets, a figure that is aligned with the average of Spain, which is 2.4 planets. “I met some students who, in small flats, had the heating on all day, which means a high energy consumption,” adds the former UIC Barcelona student.

Oriol Uroz's story is that of an engineer who, after working for years in his sector, discovered his passion for teaching. In 2024, he graduated in Primary Education from UIC Barcelona, with a special interest in issues related to sustainability. Oriol Uroz intends to continue perfecting the tool he has created, which can be downloaded free of charge from the copdema.cat website.