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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Emissions and Energy Policy

Greenhouse gas

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/ˈɡriːnhaʊs ˌɡæs/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, greenhouse gas means: A gas in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide, that traps heat and contributes to global warming.

In Turkish: sera gazı

How it is used

Shortened to GHG in reports: GHG emissions, GHG inventory, GHG Protocol. Different gases are converted into CO2 equivalent (CO2e) so they can be added up. Companies report their emissions as Scope 1, 2 and 3.

Example sentences

  1. Methane is a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO2 over a 20-year period.

  2. The audit covers all greenhouse gas emissions from our power plants.

Common collocations

  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • GHG inventory
  • reduce greenhouse gases
  • CO2 equivalent
  • carbon emissionsCarbon dioxide released into the air, mainly by burning coal, oil and gas. The term is often used loosely for all greenhouse gas emissions.
  • carbon footprintThe total amount of greenhouse gases caused directly and indirectly by a person, product, company or event, expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
  • net zeroA state in which the greenhouse gases a country or company puts into the air are balanced by the amount it removes, so that its overall contribution is zero.
  • emissions trading systemA market-based scheme that sets a cap on total emissions and lets companies buy and sell allowances, each giving the right to emit one tonne of CO2.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Emissions and Energy Policy

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