Absolute emissions
The total quantity of greenhouse gases emitted within a defined scope and period.
Example
A company can report annual tonnes of CO₂e for its operations.
The catch
A falling intensity measure does not necessarily mean this total has fallen.
Related terms
Greenhouse gas, Activity data, Base year, Carbon dioxide equivalent, Carbon footprint, Double counting
In more depth
Absolute emissions, explained.
Absolute emissions are the figure the atmosphere responds to, which makes them the plainest test of whether a climate target is working. Reports usually split the total by scope, which shows where any fall came from. A company quoting a falling number may have left out Scope 3 emissions, which for many firms form the largest share.
A total can also drop for reasons that do nothing for the climate. Selling a polluting plant shrinks the seller's inventory while the plant keeps running under new owners, so the GHG Protocol calls for a recalculated base year after such changes. Read any absolute reduction alongside its boundary, its reference year and the reason it fell.