GHG

GHG

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. They all have different global warming potentials (GWP) over different time frames, the higher the number, the worse the impact. For simplicity of accounting everything is referenced back to carbon dioxide which has a global warming potential of 1. There are over 200 GHGs listed in the IPCC fifth assessment report, a sample are below. Note that in current carbon accounting standards the 100 year GWP is used.

Greenhouse gas 20 year GWP100 year GWP
Carbon dioxide CO211
Methane CH48428
Hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a37101300
Chlorofluorocarbon CFC-1169004660
Nitrous Oxide N2O264265
Sulfur hexafluoride SF617,50023,500