Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of the amount of heat energy trapped in the atmosphere by a certain amount of a certain mixture of greenhouse gases. It is calculated over a 100-year period and is expressed as the amount of energy that would be produced by one tonne of a certain substance. The GWP of a given substance is compared to that of carbon dioxide, which has a value of 1. A higher GWP means more energy will be trapped in the atmosphere and therefore the greater the contribution to global warming.