CO2ekvivalenti

CO2ekvivalenti is a metric used to compare the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases. It expresses the warming impact of a specific gas in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that would cause the same warming. This allows for a standardized way to report and manage emissions from various sources, as different gases have different abilities to trap heat and persist in the atmosphere.

The calculation of CO2ekvivalenti involves a factor called the Global Warming Potential (GWP). The GWP of a gas is determined by comparing its radiative forcing and atmospheric lifetime to that of CO2 over a specific time horizon, usually 100 years. For instance, methane (CH4) has a GWP of 28-34 over 100 years, meaning one tonne of methane has the same warming effect as 28-34 tonnes of CO2. Similarly, nitrous oxide (N2O) has a GWP of 265-298 over 100 years.

By converting all greenhouse gas emissions to their CO2ekvivalenti, it becomes possible to aggregate emissions from diverse sectors like energy, agriculture, and industry into a single, comparable figure. This is crucial for setting emission reduction targets, tracking progress towards climate goals, and implementing climate policies. Many international agreements and national regulations use CO2ekvivalenti to report and manage greenhouse gas inventories.