• Kyoto and Climate Change
• Our Climate
• Atmosphere
• Greenhouse Gases
• Austrian Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Greenhouse Effect
• International Climate Policy
• Kyoto Protocol
• European Climate Policies
• National Climate Policy

Greenhouse Gases

The six greenhouse gases mainly responsible for the anthropogenic greenhouse effect and taken into account in the Kyoto Protocol are the following:

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the product of all combustion. In contrast to other combustion products, it cannot be removed using filters or catalysts. Additionally, CO₂ is also emitted in some industrial processes, such as iron and steel making. Naturally CO₂ is emitted through the respiration of all living organisms and through geological processes (e.g. vulcanism).

Methane (CH₄)
In Austria 45 percent of methane emission based on human activities is attributable to agriculture and forestry. Part of the emissions is due to life stock and animal effluent storages. Approximately 50 percent of the methane emissions originate from waste treatment.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
Nitrous oxide is a by-product of coal, petroleum or other fossil energy source combustion as well as of microbiological processes converting of nitrogen compounds in the soil.

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), Hydrogenous fluorocarbon (HFC), Perfluorocarbons (PFC)
The effect of these industrial gases on the climate results from their long-time retention in the atmosphere combined with high specific absorption rates of individual molecules in the greenhouse-relevant infrared spectral range. These fluorinated compounds therefore represent the most greenhouse-active materials in the atmosphere.

HFC emissions mainly stem from their use, as refrigerants and have continously increased since this gas is used as an alternative to chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), use of which was prohibited in the Montreal Protocol due to their ozone-depleting effect. PFCs originate from the melting of aluminium (primarily in incinerators); SF₆ is used in magnesium production and the electrical industry.

By introducing the Global Warming Potential (GWP), the varying grade of 'greenhouse activity' of the different greenhouse gases is taken into account. For each particular greenhouse gas, the GWP measures the greenhouse effect of an emitted mass unit in relation to the effect of the same mass of CO₂ over the same period.

• Further Information
• UNFCCC Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data