Which statement best describes Global Warming Potential (GWP)?

Which statement best describes Global Warming Potential (GWP)?

• A. A rate of energy loss over time
• B. A direct measure of ozone depletion potential
• C. A measure of heat trapping relative to CO2 over a defined time
• D. The total greenhouse gas emissions from a facility

Answer: (C)

Global Warming Potential measures how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere compared with CO2, using a specified time horizon. It is a relative, time-dependent metric that expresses warming per unit mass, so you can compare different gases on a common scale. This makes it the best description because it directly expresses the impact of a gas on radiative forcing over time, rather than a rate of energy loss, an ozone-related property, or the total amount of emissions. For example, methane has a higher warming potential than CO2 over the chosen 100-year horizon, meaning one kilogram of methane warms as much as many kilograms of CO2 over that period. The time horizon matters because gases with shorter lifetimes or longer lifetimes will have different relative impacts depending on whether you look at 20 years or 100 years. GWP is not a measure of ozone depletion potential, nor is it the total greenhouse gas emissions from a facility; it's a per-mass, time-dependent comparison of heat-trapping ability.

Global Warming Potential measures how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere compared with CO2, using a specified time horizon. It is a relative, time-dependent metric that expresses warming per unit mass, so you can compare different gases on a common scale. This makes it the best description because it directly expresses the impact of a gas on radiative forcing over time, rather than a rate of energy loss, an ozone-related property, or the total amount of emissions. For example, methane has a higher warming potential than CO2 over the chosen 100-year horizon, meaning one kilogram of methane warms as much as many kilograms of CO2 over that period. The time horizon matters because gases with shorter lifetimes or longer lifetimes will have different relative impacts depending on whether you look at 20 years or 100 years. GWP is not a measure of ozone depletion potential, nor is it the total greenhouse gas emissions from a facility; it's a per-mass, time-dependent comparison of heat-trapping ability.