What are
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases absorb heat from the sun in the atmosphere, raising the atmosphere’s temperature. These are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated or F-gases, which include hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).
How are these gases released in the atmosphere? Let’s take a closer look at each:
The concentration of these gases in the atmosphere has been rising, resulting in significant increases in global temperatures globally, as illustrated by this graph from Our World in Data:
Source: Our World in Data
Climate change is expected to worsen the frequency, intensity, and impacts of some types of extreme weather events. Heat waves, floods, storms, wildfires and much more have been categorized as catastrophic in certain regions. They have affected businesses, people, as well as the economy. For this reason, it’s every organisation’s duty to do all they can to help decrease the amount of GHG emissions worldwide.
We know this is a challenge and can even be overwhelming, but all you need is a step-by-step approach. What’s the first step? Measure your annual emissions through GHG reporting.