What greenhouse gas has a global warming potential of 265 over a 100 year time horizon?

The greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 265 over a 100-year time horizon is nitrous oxide (N2O). This gas has a significant impact on climate change due to its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. When evaluating global warming potentials, nitrous oxide is recognized for its effectiveness at absorbing infrared radiation, making it approximately 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in terms of its heat-trapping capability.

Nitrous oxide also has a longer atmospheric lifetime than CO2, which contributes to its higher global warming potential. Its emissions primarily come from agricultural activities, particularly the application of synthetic fertilizers, and from certain industrial processes.

Understanding the relative impact of various greenhouse gases is crucial for developing effective climate policies and mitigating strategies. Nitrous oxide’s contributions to warming, through both direct emission and indirect effects on ozone layer depletion, place it among the more potent greenhouse gases when it comes to long-term climate change effects.