Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gases are gaseous components of the atmosphere – both naturally occurring and anthropogenic – that absorb the radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and clouds and reflect or radiate it back at specific wavelengths of the thermal infrared radiation spectrum.
Greenhouse gases are gaseous components of the atmosphere – both naturally occurring and anthropogenic – that absorb the radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and clouds and reflect or radiate it back at specific wavelengths of the thermal infrared radiation spectrum. This quality is responsible for the greenhouse effect. Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. There are also a number of exclusively anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, like the halogenated hydrocarbons and other substances containing chloride and bromide cited in the Montreal Protocol. In addition to CO2, N2O and CH4, the Kyoto Protocol addresses the greenhouse gases sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).