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Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

About This Calculator

Last Updated: April 2014

• Latest updates and revision history
• Calculations and References

Other Calculators

There are a number of other web-based calculators that can estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions for

• Individuals and households
• Waste, and
• Transportation.

For basic information and details on greenhouse gas emissions, visit the Emissions section of EPA’s climate change site.

Did you ever wonder what reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 1 million metric tons means in everyday terms? The greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator can help you understand just that, translating abstract measurements into concrete terms you can understand, such as "equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of 183,000 cars annually."

This calculator may be useful in communicating your greenhouse gas reduction strategy, reduction targets, or other initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Enter Your Data

There are two options for entering reduction data into this calculator.

• If You Have Energy Data
• If You Have Emissions Data

Please note that these estimates are approximate and should not be used for emission inventory or formal carbon footprinting exercises. Read more about the caveats and explanations on the Calculations and References page

- choose a unit - gallons of gasoline kilowatt-hours of electricity therms of natural gas passenger vehicles



? Click Here for Calculations and References

Please note that these estimates are approximate and should not be used for emission inventory or formal carbon footprinting exercises. Read more about the caveats and explanations on the Calculations and References page

Amount	Unit	Gas
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	CO2 - Carbon Dioxide or CO2 Equivalent*
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	Carbon or Carbon Equivalent
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	CH4 - Methane
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	N2O - Nitrous Oxide
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	HFC-23 HFC-32 HFC-125 HFC-134a HFC-143a HFC-152a HFC-227ea HFC-236fa HFC-4310mee R-404A R-407A R-407C R-410A R-507A - Hydrofluorocarbon gases
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	CF4 C2F6 C4F10 C6F14 - Perfluorocarbon gases
	Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms	SF6 - Sulfur Hexafluoride

*If your estimated emissions of methane, nitrous oxide, or other non-CO₂ gases are already expressed in CO₂ equivalent or carbon equivalent, please enter your figures in the row for CO₂ or carbon equivalent.

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Equivalency Results

The sum of the greenhouse gas emissions you entered above is Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent. This is equivalent to:

Annual greenhouse gas emissions from

Passenger vehicles

-or-

Miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle

-or-

Tons of waste sent to the landfill

-or-

Garbage trucks of waste recycled instead of landfilled

CO₂ emissions from

gallons of gasoline consumed

-or-

Pounds of coal burned

-or-

tanker trucks' worth of gasoline

-or-

homes' energy use for one year

-or-

Wind turbines installed

-or-

homes' electricity use for one year

-or-

railcars worth of coal burned

-or-

Incandescent lamps switched to CFLs

-or-

barrels of oil consumed

-or-

propane cylinders used for home barbeques

-or-

coal-fired power plants in one year

-or-

Carbon sequestered by

tree seedlings grown for 10 years

-or-

acres of U.S. forests in one year

-or-

acres of U.S. forests preserved from conversion to cropland in one year

-or-

 

**This calculator uses an eGRID non-baseload national average emissions rate when calculating “kilowatt-hours of electricity” to “carbon dioxide equivalent.”

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