What is tg co2 eq

This is because emissions are reported in terms of CO 2 equivalents. CO 2 is not the only greenhouse gas. The others are methane CH 4 , etc, which have different warming properties and longevity in the atmosphere compared to CO 2. To report all the greenhouse gases in terms of one number, these gases of differing properties are converted to the amount of CO 2 that would have the same warming potential.

That is, the gases are made equivalent. This is the same as a million metric ton. A metric ton contains pounds. Each greenhouse gas GHG has a different global warming potential GWP and persists for a different length of time in the atmosphere. The three main greenhouse gases along with water vapour and their year global warming potential GWP compared to carbon dioxide are: 1.

Water vapour is not considered to be a cause of man-made global warming because it does not persist in the atmosphere for more than a few days.

There are other greenhouse gases which have far greater global warming potential GWP but are much less prevalent. Many of these compounds also have a depleting effect on ozone in the upper atmosphere. The column on the right shows how much that chemical would warm the earth over a year period as compared to carbon dioxide.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are most commonly expressed as "teragrams of carbon dioxide equivalents" Tg CO2 Eq. Global warming potentials are used to convert greenhouse gases to carbon dioxide equivalents.

See global warming potential, greenhouse gas. Student's Guide to Global Climate Change. Definition: A unit of measurement that can be used to compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based on how long they stay in the atmosphere and how much heat they can trap. The international standard practice is to express greenhouse gases in carbon dioxide CO2 equivalents. Emissions of gases other than CO2 are translated into CO2 equivalents using global warming potentials.

In particular, EPA has used the carbon equivalent metric in the past for budget documents. The benefits of voluntary programs have often been expressed in million metric tons of carbon equivalent MMTCE.