What Does 1 Tonne of Carbon Dioxide Mean?

With corporations, governments, and individuals working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there has been steady progress made towards accurately measuring the emissions produced by organizations and activities. Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions is an important step in the journey of reducing our environmental impact as we work to address the climate crisis. As you read about these topics, you may see tons, metric tons, or tonnes used to describe an amount of greenhouse gas emissions. If you’re asking yourself, “What do these units mean?”, you are not alone.

Defining the Units of Measurement

Before calculating greenhouse gas emissions, we need to take a step back and explain the units of measurement used to weigh them. Understanding these different common units of measurement used is important to be able to properly discuss them and comprehend their significance. Paying attention to which type of ton is being used is key because their differences go beyond their spelling. 

 
 

A short ton, or a US ton, is a unit of weight primarily used in the United States, and it equals 2,000 pounds. It is often shortened to ‘ton’ in the US.

A long ton, or a British ton, is a unit of weight used in the Imperial system, and it equals 2,240 pounds. The long ton is not commonly used to measure emissions, but it is helpful to point out that it exists.

A metric ton, also known as a tonne, is a unit of weight, and it equals 2,204.6 pounds or 1,000 kilograms. One metric ton, or one tonne, is generally abbreviated to a lowercase letter ‘t’, but can also sometimes be symbolized by “MT”. The metric ton is part of the International System of Units (SI), the modern metric system. This is the unit of measurement most organizations and scientists use around the world to measure and report on greenhouse gas emissions. One metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions would fill a cube 26 feet on each side, which is about the length of a typical residential streetlight pole.

 
 

With such close similarities across these units of measurement, it’s always important to be clear about which one is being used. Overlooking this can lead to inconsistent calculations, which ultimately hurt our climate and society. We recommend writing ‘tonne’ or ‘metric ton’ instead of ‘ton’ when communicating about greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Difference Between tCO2 and tCO2e

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the greenhouse gas commonly used when discussing climate change because it is abundant, extremely long lasting, and closely associated with the average global temperature of our planet. When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, global temperatures also increase, and when it decreases, temperatures tend to follow. This is the reason why CO2 has received the most attention and why it is used as the baseline when discussing all greenhouse gases. 

When talking about emissions, the abbreviation ‘tCO2’ represents metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. However, there is another important measurement used when referring to all greenhouse gas emissions: tCO2e. The ‘e’ stands for equivalent. This unit helps us translate the impact other greenhouse gases have as if they were CO2. 

For example, over 100 years, 1 metric ton of methane (CH4) traps about 28 times as much energy in the atmosphere as 1 metric ton of CO2. When using the standard unit, we would say 1 metric ton of CH4 equals 28 tCO2e.

 
 

What Does 1 Metric Ton of CO2 Look Like?

We know rising greenhouse gas emissions are a concern, but it’s difficult to conceptualize the impact without creating a sense of scale for our pollution problem. You may calculate your organization's carbon footprint or hear that the average American’s carbon footprint is 16 tCO2e, but what does that mean in terms of climate impact? As environmental mathematicians, one of our favorite parts is helping individuals and businesses truly understand the story their data is telling. 

1 Metric Ton of CO2e is equivalent to

  • 361 LED lightbulbs staying on for a month straight. 

  • 18,937 t-shirts being shipped from Miami to New York City.

  • 1123 vegan meals.

  • 333 omnivorous meals.

  • 2,547 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.

To put things into perspective, we can compare the emissions from different actions and activities:

  • Staying in a hotel in Atlanta, GA for one week produces 0.13 tCO2e. 

  • An airplane flying from New York City to Los Angeles emits 176.15 tCO2e.

  • Constructing 100 new homes produces roughly 4,000 tCO2e. 

  • Tomato production in California emits 401,800 tCO2e per year.

  • A US coal-fired power plant creates around 3,790,003 tCO2e in one year.

  • The Coca-Cola Company reported its 2024 emissions to be 9,962,714 tCO2e.

  • All passenger and light-duty vehicles trucks in the US created 1,029,700,000 tCO2e in 2022. 

  • The greenhouse gas emissions from Indonesia equaled 1,240,830,000 tCO2e in 2022.

  • The greenhouse gas emissions from the United States equaled 6,343,000,000 tCO2e in 2022.

More Than Just Numbers

Understanding the different ways emissions are measured is more than just a matter of numbers. Getting the measurements right is the first step in telling honest stories about greenhouse gas emissions. Whether for corporate reporting or for personal sustainability goals, clarity on how greenhouse gas emissions are measured and the impact that they represent is essential for making smarter decisions in the future. Ultimately these measurements remind us that every metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions represents real consequences to our planet and real opportunities to change course.

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