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• Want to estimate the health impacts of reducing emissions? Visit COBRA
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Last Updated: March 2020

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 the annual emissions from cars, households, or power plants.

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.

Please note that these estimates are approximate and should not be used for emission inventory or formal carbon footprinting exercises. See the equations and sources used for this calculator on the Calculations and References page.

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

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



? Click Here for Calculations and References

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	HCFC-22 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 How are they calculated?

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

Tons Pounds Metric Tons Kilograms

Greenhouse gas emissions from

Passenger vehicles driven for one year

-or-

Miles driven by an average passenger vehicle

CO₂ emissions from

gallons of gasoline consumed

-or-

gallons of diesel consumed

-or-

Pounds of coal burned

-or-

tanker trucks' worth of gasoline

-or-

homes' energy use for one year

-or-

homes' electricity use for one year

-or-

railcars' worth of coal burned

-or-

barrels of oil consumed

-or-

propane cylinders used for home barbeques

-or-

coal-fired power plants in one year

-or-

number of smartphones charged

Greenhouse gas emissions avoided by

Tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled

-or-

Garbage trucks of waste recycled instead of landfilled

-or-

trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled

-or-

Wind turbines running for a year

-or-

Incandescent lamps switched to LEDs

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

 

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