Footprint Neutral/Negative is the idea of committing human activities that will neither increase nor reduce a person’s ecological footprint. This also means that sustainable actions done by a particular person can cancel out activities that could enlarge their footprint as long as the sustainable actions are equal or greater than the negative ones.

An example of an action that could be footprint neutral/negative can be found in insulating a house. While purchasing and installing the new insulation will have adverse effects, the insulation will keep heat and coolness in the house longer, reducing the amount of energy needed to control the temperature of the room and countering the negative actions that would increase your ecological footprint.

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Other Sources

Foodprint Network. “Glossary.” Footprint Network. http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/glossary/. Accessed August 3, 2016.