温室气体(ghg)包括二氧化碳、水蒸气等气体, methane, and nitrous oxide. 太阳辐射(阳光)被地球吸收并释放回太空. However, GHGs in the atmosphere absorb the energy that is trying to leave and radiate it back to the Earth. More energy is reabsorbed than is released; excess heat is prevented from leaving the atmosphere. This imbalance leads to global warming. Emissions from human activities are 增加了大气中温室气体的含量，从而加剧了全球变暖. GHGs 是用公吨二氧化碳当量或MTCO2E来衡量的吗.

All GHGs have a different Global Warming Potential (GWP). This is the amount of heat absorbed by each gas in the atmosphere; the higher GWP a gas has, the more it will exacerbate global warming. 甲烷的毒性是二氧化碳的28倍，一氧化二氮的265倍 more potent than carbon dioxide (IPCC). The unit of measurement for emissions, MTCO2E, 将甲烷和一氧化二氮的排放量与二氧化碳当量的排放量进行比较，这样 all emissions are in terms of carbon.

科罗拉多大学根据温室气体的来源对其进行分类，从而跟踪温室气体的排放. These are called “scopes”:

• 范围1 -直接机构:范围1排放测量赌博正规的十大网站拥有和/或运营的污染源的直接排放. This includes natural gas for heating, gasoline, and diesel for CC's vehicle fleet, and fertilizers and refrigerants.
• 范围2 -间接机构:范围2排放衡量购买的电力产生的间接排放.
• 范围3 -间接行为:范围3的排放与行为选择有关. CC has chosen to measure emissions from study abroad, faculty and staff commuting, student travel to–and from home, business travel paid for by Colorado College, solid waste and wastewater, paper usage, and T&D losses. 这些选择反映了CC致力于解决和改变导致间接排放的行为模式.

On January 1st, 2020, Colorado College officially became a carbon-neutral institution. 根据英国自然历史博物馆的说法，“一个人，一个公司, or country is carbon neutral 如果它们在日常生活中平衡释放到大气中的二氧化碳 活动与它们从大气中吸收或移除的量有关. This is also called 净零碳排放或净零碳排放因为总体上没有二氧化碳加入 the atmosphere” (NHM). CC’美国作为碳中和机构的地位并不意味着该学院 doesn’t produce carbon emissions. Any gross carbon emissions still generated by CC are balanced out by carbon offsets purchased by the college.

This year这份技术报告是第一份全面阐述碳中和的报告. It is important to note that FY20's 温室气体盘点发生在整个财政年度, whereas CC在日历年初达到了碳中和. This means that carbon neutrality was met halfway through the emissions reporting period. For that year's report, 赌博正规的十大网站似乎是“一半”碳中和的，因为fsets could only be applied to emissions from January 1st, 2020 onward. Last year今年的数据(22财年)完全反映了科罗拉多州的情况 College having met carbon neutrality.