It can be tough to wrap your head around a tonne of CO₂.

For your company to take action on its environmental impact and reduce emissions, it's important to understand the emissions you need to reduce. Since we don't often think about gases having mass or weight, it can be difficult to understand what a ‘tonne of CO₂’ really means.

When we talk about tonnes of CO₂, we know that visualizing and truly understanding it can be challenging. That's why we're breaking it down into metrics and data, and sharing some easy to understand equivalencies.

First, let's dig deeper into what the CO₂ in this tonne is made up of. During the Climate Smart Program, businesses measure their carbon footprint, which is comprised of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). When measuring GHGs, “carbon dioxide equivalent” (CO₂e) is used, which refers to a number of GHGs collectively. CO₂e is important in terms of its ability to gather all GHGs into one place and transfer them to a single number.

CO₂e is a metric measure used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their Global Warming Potential (GWP). It essentially acts as a single unit of measurement for your emissions

CO₂e is calculated by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of CO₂. To express any GHG quantity in CO2e, multiply the amount of that given GHG by its GWP. For instance, 1 tonne of N2O emissions can be described as 298 tonnes of CO₂e (1 tonne N2O x 298 GWP = 298 tonnes CO₂e). The CO₂ equivalence makes it easier for analysts, and you, to estimate your GHG outputs while completing your carbon footprint with the Climate Smart Program.

Now that you know about the equivalencies of CO₂, let’s look at some tangible examples of 1 tonne of CO₂. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, one metric tonne of CO₂e is produced by:

• Charging 127,000 smartphones

• Driving 6,000 km in a diesel car​​

• 11 refrigerators powered for one year​​

• Gassing up an SUV 46 times​​

• 500 CO2 fire extinguishers​​

• 40 BBQ propane tanks​​

• 428L of gasoline consumed​​

At BMO Radicle, we want to ensure you can do more than visualize the equivalencies of CO₂. The Climate Smart Program can help your business measure large-scale carbon outputs, and take positive actions to reduce your emissions with our award-winning training and certification program. You'll also learn more about GHGs and how to make a climate action plan.

So, with tonnes of new knowledge about emissions, you're ready to take the next step and turn visualizing into measuring. Reach out to our experts, and get started on your decarbonization journey.