Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a metric that quantifies the relative impact of a chemical compound on global warming. The GWP value of a gas indicates how much it contributes to the greenhouse effect compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a specific period of time. CO₂ serves as the reference gas and is assigned a GWP value of 1 by definition. Other greenhouse gases, such as methane (CH₄) or fluorinated gases (F-gases), often have significantly higher GWP values, meaning they contribute much more to global warming than CO₂.

Calculating the GWP

The GWP value is typically calculated over time horizons of 20, 100, or 500 years, with the 100-year perspective being the most commonly used. Two key factors influence the calculation: a gas’s ability to absorb infrared radiation and its atmospheric lifetime. Gases with high GWP values absorb more heat and therefore have a greater impact on the greenhouse effect and climate change. For example, methane has a GWP of 25 over 100 years, meaning it traps 25 times more heat than an equivalent amount of CO₂.

At the same time, the evaluation time frame significantly affects the impact of a gas. For instance, methane’s GWP increases to 80 over a 20-year period, highlighting its strong short-term climate impact. This demonstrates the significant role of fossil fuels such as natural gas, which release methane during extraction and transport (methane slip), in accelerating climate change. Consequently, natural gas-based process heat generation should be rapidly replaced by electrified solutions.

Application and significance

GWP is a key metric in environmental and climate policy as it enables comparing the impact of different greenhouse gases. This comparability supports emission regulations and reductions by helping governments and businesses set priorities and focus on the most impactful gases. In industries such as refrigeration, energy generation, and manufacturing, high-GWP gases play a significant role and are often the target of climate-related regulations, such as the EU F-Gas Regulation.

Reducing high-GWP gases

A critical aspect of global climate protection strategies is replacing high-GWP gases with more environmentally friendly alternatives. In the refrigeration sector, for example, synthetic and natural refrigerants with lower GWP values—such as R1233zd, ammonia, propane, and butane—are increasingly being used to minimize climate impact.

Conclusion

Global Warming Potential is an essential measure for assessing the climate impact of greenhouse gases. It helps decision-makers develop emission reduction strategies and contributes to global climate protection efforts.