Estimate the climate burden of any lab reaction from upstream material carbon intensities, direct greenhouse gas emissions, and energy use — expressed as kg CO₂e per kg of product. Uses IPCC AR6 GWP100 factors. Results update live as you type and every session stays in your browser, never on a server.
Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas (GHG) traps in the Earth's atmosphere over a defined time horizon — typically 100 years (GWP100) — relative to the same mass of carbon dioxide (CO₂). When applied to a chemical process, GWP quantifies the total climate-change burden in kg CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) per kg of product, accounting for upstream material production, gases emitted directly by the reaction, and the carbon cost of energy consumed.
| Symbol | Term | Units |
|---|---|---|
| \(m_{\text{mat},i}\) | Mass of each input material consumed | g |
| \(c_i\) | Upstream carbon intensity of that material (from ecoinvent or literature) | kg CO₂e / kg |
| \(m_{\text{gas},j}\) | Mass of each greenhouse gas directly emitted by the reaction | g |
| \(\text{GWP100}_j\) | 100-year GWP factor for that gas (IPCC AR6, 2021) | kg CO₂e / kg gas |
| \(E\) | Total electrical energy consumed | kWh |
| \(\text{EF}_{\text{grid}}\) | Grid emission factor (UK 2023 ≈ 0.233) | kg CO₂e / kWh |
| \(m_{\text{product}}\) | Mass of desired product isolated (g ÷ 1000) | kg |
| Greenhouse gas | Formula | GWP100 (AR6, 2021) | Context in chemistry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide | CO₂ | 1 (reference) | Combustion, decarboxylation, fermentation, acid–base reactions |
| Methane (fossil) | CH₄ | 29.8 | Solvent evaporation (natural gas), incomplete combustion |
| Methane (biogenic) | CH₄ | 27.9 | Fermentation, anaerobic processes, biogas |
| Nitrous oxide | N₂O | 273 | HNO₃ oxidations, adipic acid synthesis, denitrification |
| HFC-134a (R-134a) | CH₂FCF₃ | 1,530 | Cryogenic coolant, aerosol propellant |
| HFC-32 (R-32) | CH₂F₂ | 771 | Refrigerant blends |
| HFC-23 | CHF₃ | 14,600 | By-product of HCFC-22 manufacture |
| Sulfur hexafluoride | SF₆ | 25,200 | Electrical insulation, some plasma processes |
| Nitrogen trifluoride | NF₃ | 17,400 | Semiconductor / thin-film manufacture |
Source: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), Working Group I, Table 7.SM.7, 2021. GWP100 values for a 100-year time horizon.
| Process / Product type | Typical GWP (kg CO₂e / kg product) | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bio-based bulk chemicals (e.g. bioethanol, lactic acid) | < 2 | Excellent |
| Enzymatic / biocatalytic lab synthesis | 1 – 5 | Excellent |
| Green lab synthesis (ambient, catalytic, minimal solvent) | 5 – 15 | Good |
| Optimised pharmaceutical intermediates | 15 – 50 | Moderate |
| Typical multi-step fine chemical synthesis | 50 – 200 | Poor |
| Complex APIs / reactions with high-GWP by-products | > 200 | Poor |
Indicative upstream GWP intensities (kg CO₂e/kg): ethanol ≈ 1.5 · EtOAc ≈ 2.3 · DCM ≈ 1.4 · THF ≈ 3.5 · toluene ≈ 1.0 · acetone ≈ 2.7 · water ≈ 0.001 · glucose ≈ 0.9 · acetic anhydride ≈ 1.5 · NaOH ≈ 1.1. UK grid 2023 ≈ 0.233 kg CO₂e/kWh.
| Metric | What it measures | Captures GHG climate impact? |
|---|---|---|
| GWP (this tool) | Total greenhouse gas burden per kg product (kg CO₂e/kg) — all three pathways | Yes — primary purpose |
| Atom Economy (AE) | Theoretical fraction of reactant mass incorporated into desired product | No |
| E-factor | Mass of all waste per mass of product (includes solvents, excess reagents) | No (unless energy waste included) |
| PMI (Process Mass Intensity) | Total mass input per mass of product | No |
| RME (Reaction Mass Efficiency) | Combined practical mass efficiency: AE × yield × stoichiometry | No |
| % Yield | Fraction of theoretical product actually isolated | No |
Enter every consumed material — reagents, solvents, catalysts, and workup chemicals. For each, enter the actual mass used in grams and the upstream GWP intensity (kg CO₂e per kg of that material) from ecoinvent, literature, or supplier environmental data. Do not include the product here.
| Material name | Category | Mass used (g) | Upstream GWP (kg CO₂e/kg) | CO₂e (kg) |
|---|
Enter any greenhouse gases directly emitted by the reaction itself — for example CO₂ from a decarboxylation, N₂O from an HNO₃ oxidation, CH₄ from an anaerobic process, or refrigerant losses. Select the gas type and the GWP100 factor (IPCC AR6) fills automatically. Use Custom for unlisted gases and enter the factor manually.
| Gas | Mass emitted (g) | GWP100 factor | CO₂e (kg) |
|---|
Enter the total electrical energy consumed by all equipment during the reaction (hotplate, stirrer, pump, condenser, etc.). Use a plug-in energy meter for accuracy, or estimate from rated power × time. Then record the product name and the mass actually isolated.
| Material / Gas / Source | Pathway | Quantity | GWP factor | CO₂e (kg) | % of total | Visual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter input materials, direct GHG emissions, energy use, and product mass above to see the breakdown. | ||||||
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