Global Definitions Database

Greenhouse gases (sometimes abbreviated to GHG) are gas in the Earth’s atmosphere that is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect which can greatly affect the temperature of the Earth. GHGs are the six gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2);
methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels has substantially increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the
atmosphere thereby contributing to the greenhouse gas effect.