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Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, contributing to the greenhouse effect that influences Earth's temperature. While the natural greenhouse effect is essential for maintaining conditions that support life, increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases due to human activities are strengthening this effect and contributing to climate change.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the greenhouse gas most commonly associated with climate change, but it is not the only one. Methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases can also contribute significantly to global warming.
Understanding these gases, their sources, and their different effects on the climate is fundamental to greenhouse gas accounting and corporate carbon management.
Energy from the Sun reaches Earth's surface, where part of it is absorbed and later emitted as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and re-emit some of this radiation, reducing the amount of heat that escapes directly to space.
This process is known as the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect itself is a natural process. The climate challenge arises when human activities increase atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, strengthening the effect and altering the Earth's energy balance.
Activities such as fossil fuel combustion, industrial production, agriculture, land-use change, waste management, and the use of certain refrigerants can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Different greenhouse gases behave differently in the atmosphere. Their climate effects depend on factors including their ability to absorb radiation and how long they remain in the atmosphere.
Several greenhouse gases are relevant to climate change and greenhouse gas accounting. Their sources and characteristics differ considerably.
Carbon dioxide is one of the most significant greenhouse gases associated with human activities.
Major anthropogenic sources include the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as certain industrial processes and land-use changes.
For companies, CO₂ emissions can be associated with activities such as fuel combustion, purchased energy, transportation, production processes, and activities throughout the value chain.
Because carbon dioxide is used as the reference gas when comparing the climate effects of greenhouse gases, it also forms the basis of the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) metric.
Methane is a greenhouse gas associated with activities including energy production, agriculture, waste management, and certain industrial processes.
Sources can include livestock, landfills, wastewater treatment, fossil fuel production and distribution, and other activities involving the generation or release of methane.
Although methane is often emitted in smaller quantities than carbon dioxide, its warming effect per unit of gas differs significantly from that of CO₂. This makes methane an important consideration in greenhouse gas inventories for organizations and sectors where relevant sources are present.
Nitrous oxide is another greenhouse gas with a significant climate impact.
Agricultural activities, particularly processes associated with soils and fertilizers, represent important sources of N₂O emissions. The gas can also arise from fuel combustion, waste treatment, and certain industrial processes.
For organizations operating in agriculture, chemicals, manufacturing, waste management, or other relevant sectors, N₂O can therefore form an important part of the greenhouse gas emissions profile.
Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs, are a group of fluorinated gases used in applications including refrigeration and air-conditioning.
Unlike carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, many HFC emissions are closely associated with specific equipment and industrial applications.
For companies, refrigerant leakage from cooling and air-conditioning equipment can therefore be a relevant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, are fluorinated greenhouse gases that can be associated with particular industrial processes.
Their relevance varies considerably by industry, with certain metal and electronics-related activities among the potential sources.
Although these gases may be emitted in relatively small quantities, some have high global warming impacts and long atmospheric lifetimes.
Sulfur hexafluoride is a synthetic fluorinated greenhouse gas used in several specialized applications, including electrical equipment.
Its use in high-voltage electrical systems makes it particularly relevant to certain energy and industrial operations.
Preventing and monitoring leakage can therefore be important for organizations that operate equipment containing SF₆.
Nitrogen trifluoride is primarily associated with specialized industrial applications, including parts of the electronics and semiconductor industries.
Its relevance to an individual company's greenhouse gas inventory depends on the organization's operations and the emission sources present within its activities.
Together with CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆, NF₃ is among the greenhouse gases commonly addressed in corporate greenhouse gas accounting frameworks.
No. Greenhouse gases differ in both their atmospheric behavior and their effect on the climate.
Emitting one tonne of methane, for example, does not have the same climate impact as emitting one tonne of carbon dioxide. The same principle applies to nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.
To enable these different gases to be compared and aggregated, greenhouse gas accounting commonly uses carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
CO₂e expresses the impact of a greenhouse gas relative to carbon dioxide using its Global Warming Potential (GWP)over a specified time horizon.
This makes it possible for an organization with several different greenhouse gas sources to express those emissions using a common metric.
The methodology and values used to calculate GWP are an important technical topic in their own right and should be considered separately when developing a greenhouse gas inventory.
The greenhouse gases relevant to a company depend strongly on its sector and activities.
For example, fuel combustion may primarily result in CO₂ emissions while also generating smaller amounts of CH₄ and N₂O. Refrigeration systems may result in emissions of HFCs if refrigerants leak. Agricultural operations may have significant CH₄ or N₂O sources, while certain industrial processes may involve specific fluorinated gases.
Potential corporate sources include:
This is why a greenhouse gas inventory should not assume that every company's emissions profile consists primarily of CO₂. The relevant gases need to be considered in relation to the organization's actual activities and emission sources.
Understanding the greenhouse gases associated with business activities helps organizations develop a more accurate picture of their climate impact.
If a company focuses only on carbon dioxide, it may overlook other significant emission sources. This can be particularly important in sectors where methane, nitrous oxide, refrigerants, or other fluorinated gases contribute materially to the organization's emissions profile.
Identifying the relevant greenhouse gases can help organizations:
The importance of each greenhouse gas will vary between sectors and organizations. A reliable assessment therefore begins with understanding the company's activities and determining which greenhouse gases may be associated with them.
A carbon footprint represents more than carbon dioxide alone. It brings the climate effects of different greenhouse gases into a common measurement framework.
Understanding which greenhouse gases are emitted, where they originate, and how their climate impacts differ is therefore an essential foundation for corporate greenhouse gas accounting.
For organizations, this knowledge supports the development of more complete emissions inventories and provides a stronger basis for understanding their overall climate impact.
Sustable supports organizations in managing greenhouse gas data across different emission sources and activities, creating a centralized and traceable foundation for corporate carbon management.
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