Glossary term

greenhouse gas

A regulatory term referring to gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic.

1 official sourcessingle_source

What does greenhouse gas mean?

Greenhouse gas is part of the formal vocabulary used in product carbon-footprint methodology and lifecycle-based climate accounting. For this glossary, the key point is understanding how the source defines the term and where that definition sits within broader compliance or data requirements.

Official definitions by source

ISO 14067:2018

ISO 14067:2018 - Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products

gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere and clouds

Reference: 3.1.2.1

View official source

Why it matters in practice

In practice, this term matters when companies collect, structure, verify, or communicate sustainability data within product carbon-footprint methodology and lifecycle-based climate accounting.

Minespider commentary

For Minespider, greenhouse gas is not just descriptive language. It is a modeling term that affects how sustainability, emissions, lifecycle, or product information should be captured and compared.

Common confusions

Assuming the everyday meaning of greenhouse gas is enough without checking the official source definition.
Using greenhouse gas as a loose generic label rather than the narrower meaning used in the source text.
Assuming greenhouse gas can be interpreted without understanding methodology, scope, or lifecycle context.