CO2ekvivalendina

CO2ekvivalendina, often abbreviated as CO2e, is a unit used to express the climate impact of various greenhouse gases in terms of carbon dioxide. Different greenhouse gases have varying potentials to trap heat in the atmosphere. CO2ekvivalendina standardizes these effects by assigning a global warming potential (GWP) to each gas. The GWP of a gas indicates how much heat it can trap over a specific time horizon, typically 100 years, relative to carbon dioxide, which has a GWP of 1.

For example, methane (CH4) has a much higher GWP than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. If a certain amount of methane is emitted, its climate impact is calculated by multiplying its mass by its GWP to determine its equivalent CO2e. Similarly, nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases also have their own GWPs and are converted to CO2e for a comprehensive assessment of climate change contributions.

The concept of CO2e is crucial for understanding and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It allows for a single metric to compare the climate impact of different activities, products, or policies. This standardization is widely used in greenhouse gas inventories, carbon footprint calculations, and climate policy development. By expressing all greenhouse gas emissions in CO2e, it becomes easier to set reduction targets and track progress towards mitigating climate change.