ABSTRACT
The concept of global warming potential describes in one number the different capacities to affect climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the extent of climate change effects on individual regions will vary over time and with the ability of different societal and environmental systems to mitigate or adapt to change. International efforts have been ongoing for many years to reduce anthropogenic impacts on climate change, and probably, the most important are the climate conferences. A combination of strategies that include mitigation, adaptation, and technological development is necessary to reduce the risks associated with climate change. Most carbon-counting tools offer the possibility of determining emissions from energy use in buildings or from transportation. A carbon-neutral building is one in which total emissions are equal to zero. Carbon neutrality is accomplished by reducing the emissions in the different categories as much as possible and then offsetting the emissions.
