Carbon footprints have emerged as one of the most discussed indicators of environmental degradation in the 21st century.They quantify the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated directly or indirectly by individuals, products, organizations, ornations. Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and globalization have significantly increased anthropogenic carbonemissions,contributing to climate change, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss. Although global initiatives suchastheParis Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, carbon trading mechanisms, and renewable energy transitions aim to address this issue, Thispaperprovides an extensive review of carbon footprints from scientific, economic, and social perspectives. It identifies themajorcontributors such as energy consumption, transportation, agriculture, and industrial activities. It evaluates modern assessment tools(LCA, GHG Protocol, PAS 2050), emerging technologies for carbon mitigation (CCUS, green hydrogen, AI-driven monitoring), andcompares national strategies adopted across developing and developed nations. The study also presents a synthesizedanalysisofcurrent trends and challenges while proposing a multi-level framework for reducing carbon footprints. The researchconcludesthatintegrated policies, technological innovation, behavioral change, and circular economy practices are essential to achievingnet-zeroemissions by 2050. Keywords: Carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, sustainability, climate change, life cycle assessment, renewable energy, carbonneutrality, mitigation strategies.