Glossary What does CO₂ equivalent stand for?
CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e)
In addition to carbon dioxide (CO₂), other greenhouse gases are also (climate-)relevant: methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorinated hydrocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃). These other greenhouse gases have a stronger climate impact compared to CO₂ (e.g. 1 t methane has the same effect as 28 t CO₂ ( IPCC 2016 )).
The unit CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) takes this fact into account and makes it possible to offset different greenhouse gases:
| Greenhouse gases | Greenhouse gas potential CO₂e (100 years) |
| Carbon dioxide (CO₂) | 1 |
| Methane (CH₄) | 28 |
| Nitrous oxide (N₂O) | 265 |
| Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) | <1–13,900 |
| Perfluorinated compunds (PFCs) | 6,630-11,100 |
| Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) | 23,500 |
| Nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) | 16,100 |
(Source: IPCC (2013): “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Base” [adapted])