Carbon dioxide equivalent

Emissions Gap Report 2019 published by the UN Environment Programme defines the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) as: ‘A way to place emissions of various radiative forcing agents on a common footing by accounting for their effect on climate. It describes, for a given mixture and amount of greenhouse gases, the amount of CO2 that would have the same global warming ability, when measured over a specified time period. For the purpose of this report, greenhouse gas emissions (unless otherwise specified) are the sum of the basket of greenhouse gases listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol, expressed as CO2e assuming a 100-year global warming potential.’

The HS2 London-West Midlands Environmental Statement, published by the Department for Transport in November 2013 suggests the term 'carbon dioxide equivalent' refers to a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential.

BG 87/2024, Useful Information Guide, written by Chin Hang “Kay” Lam and published by BSRIA in 2024, defines carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq or CO2e) as: ‘A measure of greenhouse gas emissions which enables the effects of different gases to be compared. It expresses the warming effect over a set period (usually 100 years) to that of carbon dioxide (CO2).’

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