How are total annual greenhouse gas emissions estimated?
The greenhouse gas estimates presented here are full fuel-cycle estimates, combining the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: • Carbon dioxide (CO2) • Nitrous oxide (NOx) • Methane (CH4) Full fuel-cycle estimates include all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. This gives a more complete picture of the climate change impacts of using a particular fuel. Some greenhouse gases have greater impacts on climate than others. Scientists have developed relative global warming potential numbers for each gas that gives its impact on global climate realtive to that of carbon dioxide. We use the global warming potentials developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to combine the three gases into tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. We believe this gives the most compete and accurate reflection of the impact of each vehicle’s energy use on the global climate. Numerous assumptions and calculations are necessary to esti
