The carbon footprint of a building is defined as the quantity of CO2 produced during its operations and activities. Consideration of a building's carbon footprint impacts both new construction and existing buildings. The main factors that determine a building's carbon footprint are how it was constructed, such as using wood or other materials that produce carbon emissions during their production and transport to the site where they are used, and how it is operated, such as by having a large number of employees or using energy-efficient technologies. There are several ways that a building can impact the environment negatively. These include energy consumption, material consumption, waste management, transportation, and human activity. This article focuses on energy consumption and material consumption. Energy consumption occurs in three main areas: heating, cooling, and lighting. Heating and cooling account for more than 70% of all energy consumption in the United States. Energy-efficient technologies have been developed over time to reduce the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. Lighting accounts for about 20% of all energy consumption in the United States. It is possible to design structures that are efficient at collecting and dispersing light, which would lead to less energy being consumed overall. Materials consumption affects the environment due to their extraction from the earth and their eventual disposal.