global warming potential

Comparison of global warming potential of three greenhouse gases over a 100-year period (GWP-100) per ton: Perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA), nitrous oxide and methane, compared to carbon dioxide (the latter is the reference value, therefore it has a GWP of one). PFTBA is here used as an example of a larger group of potent fluorinated greenhouse gases. Fluorinated hydrocarbons combined contribute about 10% to global warming.

Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time period, relative to carbon dioxide (CO2). It is a dimensionless quantity expressed as a multiple of warming caused by the same mass of CO2. Therefore, by definition CO2 has a GWP of 1. For other gases it depends on how strongly the gas absorbs thermal radiation, how quickly the gas leaves the atmosphere, and the time frame considered.