Hiilidioksidiyksikkö

Hiilidioksidiyksikkö, often abbreviated as CO2e or CO2eq, is a metric used to standardize the impact of various greenhouse gases on global warming. It represents the amount of carbon dioxide that would cause the same amount of warming as a given amount of a different greenhouse gas. This standardization is crucial for comparing the climate impact of different substances. Each greenhouse gas has a different global warming potential (GWP), which is its capacity to trap heat in the atmosphere over a specific time horizon, typically 100 years, relative to carbon dioxide. For example, methane has a higher GWP than carbon dioxide, meaning a ton of methane has a greater warming effect than a ton of carbon dioxide over the same period. By multiplying the amount of a specific greenhouse gas by its GWP, its impact can be expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent. The sum of these equivalents for all relevant greenhouse gases gives the total CO2e emissions. This unit is widely used in climate change reporting, carbon footprint calculations, and international climate agreements to provide a common measure of greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate comparison and policy development. It helps to understand and manage the overall contribution of human activities to climate change.