tonne CO2e (t CO2e)
1 tonne CO2e = 1,000 kilograms CO2e
What is tonne CO2e?
Tonne of CO2 equivalent (t CO2e) is the standard large-scale unit for national and industrial carbon accounting. It is used in emissions trading schemes, sustainability reports, and international climate agreements.
Notes: Metric unit
Real-world uses
Tonne CO2e is the standard unit for national greenhouse gas inventories, corporate sustainability reports, and carbon trading markets (one carbon credit = 1 tonne CO2e). The average American's annual footprint is about 16 tonnes CO2e; the global average is about 4.7 tonnes.
History
The tonne CO2e became the standard trading unit with the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the subsequent creation of carbon markets. The EU Emissions Trading System, launched in 2005, trades allowances denominated in tonnes of CO2e.
Common mistakes
Using "ton" ambiguously—carbon accounting almost always means metric tonnes (1,000 kg), not US short tons. Also, confusing gross emissions with net emissions (after offsets or carbon capture), which can paint a misleading picture.
When is this conversion used?
Converting tonne CO2e to kilogram CO2e is useful in the carbon emissions domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
How to convert tonne CO2e to kilogram CO2e
To convert tonne CO2e to kilogram CO2e, multiply the value by 1,000.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1000.0
Measurement standards
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, maintained jointly by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is the de facto global standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions across corporate, project, and product life-cycle scopes.
Did you know?
A single transatlantic round-trip flight from London to New York generates roughly 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ per passenger — nearly a quarter of the average annual carbon footprint of a person in France.
| tonnes CO2e | kilograms CO2e |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 250 | 250,000 |
| 500 | 500,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
Full tonne CO2e conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| kilogram CO2e | 1 t CO2e = 1,000 kg CO2e | × 1,000 |
| gram CO2e | 1 t CO2e = 1,000,000 g CO2e | × 1,000,000 |
| watt hour CO2e equivalent | 1 t CO2e = 2,247,191.01123596 Wh→CO2e | × 2,247,191.01123596 |
| kilowatt hour CO2e equivalent | 1 t CO2e = 2,247.19101124 kWh→CO2e | × 2,247.19101124 |
| megawatt hour CO2e equivalent | 1 t CO2e = 2.24719101 MWh→CO2e | × 2.24719101 |