The Global Warming potential of a determinate gas is a relative value which compares the gas in question to that of the same mass of carbon dioxide (whose GWP is by definition 1), relating to its contribution to global warming. The value is expressed in CO2 equivalents.

A substance's GWP depends on the time span over which the potential is calculated.

  • Methane (CH4) has a potential of 23 over 100 years but 62 over 20 years;
  • Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) has a GWP of 22,000 over 100 years but 15,100 over 20 years

Source: IPCC TAR

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