Global Warming Potential. A time dependent index used to compare the radiative forcing, on a mass basis, of an impulse of a specific greenhouse gas relative to that of CO2. Gases included in the Kyoto Protocol are weighted in the first commitment period according to their GWP over a 100-year time horizon as published in the 1995 Second Assessment Report of the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]. In that report, a kilogram of methane, for example has a radiative force of about 21 times greater than that of a kilogram of CO2.The GWP of CO2 is defined as 1, thus methane has a GWP of 21 over the 100-year time horizon. (Source: International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), Climate Change A Glossary of terms, 3rd Edition, January 2001. London, 2001).
Global Warming Potential. A relative measure of the warming effect that the emission of a gas might have on the surface troposphere. It is measured as a factor relative to CO2.
Global Warming Potential. Index describing the relative warming of a unit mass of a greenhouse gas in comparison to the same mass of carbon dioxide.
Global Warming Potential. The relative contribution of certain substances (greenhouse gases), e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs, HCFCs and halons, to the global warming effect when the substances are released to the atmosphere by combustion of oil, gas and coal (CO2), direct emission, leakage from refrigerating plants etc. The standard measure of GWP is relative to carbon dioxide (GWP=1.0), which is consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indexing approach. The GWP can be given with 20, 100 or 500 years integration time horizon. There is not a complete agreement within the scientific community on what is the proper time horizon, but 100 years is most commonly used.
Global Warming Potential. The ratio of the warming caused by a substance to the warming caused by a similar mass of carbon dioxide. CFC-12, for example, has a GWP of 8,500, while carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1.
Abbreviation for Global Warming Potential.
Global warming potential. A measure of the potential of substances (normally gases or volatile liquids) to heat up the atmosphere. All measures of GWP are given relative to Carbon dioxide, the most well-known gas with global warming potential, which has a GWP of 1.
Global warming potential. Term used to describe the relative potency, molecule for molecule, of a GHG, taking account of how long it remains active in the atmosphere. The GWPs currently used are those calculated over 100 years. Carbon dioxide is taken as the gas of reference, with a 100-year GWP of 1.
Global warming potential. An index that shows the relative effects of various greenhouse gases in increasing global warming. GWPs are calculated as the amount of infra-red radiation absorbed by one kg of a gas over a period of 100 years. The GWP of carbon dioxide is one; the GWP of sulfur hexafluoride is 23,900.
Global warming potential. Greenhouse impact relative to carbon dioxide.
global warming potential - is a measurement of how much effect any given refrigerant will have on global warming in relation to carbon dioxide. This is usually measured over a 100 year period. The lower the value of GWP the better the refrigerant is for the environment.
stands for Global Warming Potential, and is the ratio of how much a gas contributes, molecule for molecule, to enhancing the greenhouse effect compared to carbon dioxide.
Global warming potential. An index used to compare the relative radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in atmospheric concentrations. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the radiative forcing that would result from the emission of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a fixed period of time, such as 100 years.
Global warming potential. is a relative measure of the warming effect that the emission of a GHG might have on the Earth's atmosphere. It is calculated as the ratio of the time-integrated radiative forcing (i.e. the amount of heat-trapping potential) that would result from the emission of 1 kg of a given GHG to that from the emission of 1 kg of CO2. For example, the GWP for nitrous oxide (N2O) is 310, which means that 1 kg of N2O emissions is equivalent to 310 kg of CO2 emissions.
Global warming potential. The index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare their relative effect on climate change. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the change that would result from the emissions of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a period of time (usually 100 years). The GWP of CO2 is defined to be 1.0. (Source: Adapted from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Global Warming Potential. The GWP (Global Warming Potential) index expresses the climatic warming potential of a greenhouse gas relative to that of carbon dioxide, which by convention is set at 1. The GWP is actually calculated in terms of the 100 year warming potential of a kilogram (kg) of a gas relative to that of a kilogram of CO2.
Global warming potential, compared to the GWP of CO2 which is defined as 1. All GWP figures used in this report are based on the 100 year time horizon.
Global warming potential. The instantaneous radiative forcing that results from the addition of 1 kilogram of a gas to the atmosphere, relative to that of 1 kilogram of carbon dioxide.
Global warming potential. A factor describing the radiative forcing impact (amount of warming) of one unit of a given GHG relative to one unit of CO2. For example, under the Kyoto Protocol, the GWP of methane is 21.
Global Warming Potential . A system of multipliers devised to enable warming effects of different gases to be compared. The cumulative warming effect, over a specified time period, of an emission of a mass unit of CO2 is assigned the value of 1. Effects of emissions of a mass unit of non-CO2 greenhouse gases are estimated as multiples. For example, over the next 100 years, a gram of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere is currently estimated as having 23 times the warming effect as a gram of carbon dioxide; methane's 100-year GWP is thus 23. Estimates of GWP vary depending on the time-scale considered (e.g., 20-, 50-, or 100-year GWP), because the effects of some GHGs are more persistent than others.
an index of the global warming potential of a set amount of a given gas compared with the same amount of CO2 over a given period e.g. the GWP over 100 years for methane is 21 (i.e. 21 times the contribution to global warming of the same amount of CO2)