What does greenhouse gas mean?
Greenhouse gas is a gaseous atmospheric constituent that absorbs and emits infrared radiation, making it relevant to climate-change impact assessment.
greenhouse gas
A regulatory term referring to gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic.
1 official sourcessingle_source
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
Regulatory context
This term originates in ISO 14067:2018 and/or ISO 14044 LCA methodology. It is used in EU product regulation — particularly under the EU Battery Regulation (PEF method for carbon footprint) and ESPR (environmental footprint) — because both regulations require lifecycle-based quantification of environmental impacts. Practitioners applying these regulations should be familiar with these LCA/PEF concepts to correctly scope, conduct, and verify product-level environmental assessments.
Practical application
This term matters when a footprint study identifies which atmospheric gases need to be measured, converted, or reported in climate-impact calculations.
Minespider commentary
For Minespider, greenhouse gas is the substance-level starting point for carbon-footprint evidence.
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.