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The GHGRP collects data from two types of entities: Direct emitters and Suppliers.
- "Direct emitters" “Direct emitters” are facilities that combust fuels or otherwise put GHGs into the atmosphere directly from their facility. An example of this is a power plant that burns coal or natural gas and emits carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere. EPA estimates that the emissions reported by direct emitters covers about half of total U.S. emissions.
- "Suppliers" “Suppliers” are those entities that supply products into the economy which if combusted, released or oxidized emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These fuels and industrial gases are not emitted from the supplier facility but instead distributed throughout the country and used. An example of this is gasoline, which is sold in the U.S. and primarily burned in cars throughout the country. The majority of GHG emissions associated with the transportation, residential and commercial sectors are accounted for by these suppliers.
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Each facility has provided information on its parent company which is available for download through Envirofacts. You can also use FLIGHT to search for facilities associated with a given parent company. Click "Search Options" “Search Options” above the search bar, check the box for parent company and then type the name of the company into the search box and click Search.
The factory nearby
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isn’t listed. Why not?
Many large buildings and industries do not directly emit more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and therefore may not be required to report. For example, some factories and other large buildings consume a lot of electricity to provide the energy for their operations, so the emissions occur at the power plant providing the electricity. In this case, the power plant would report the GHG emissions from the production of the electricity. The factory would not report emissions for using the electricity.
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EPA’s Data Publication Tool shows a reporting facility nearby, but I
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don’t see a factory or other facility that would emit large amounts of GHGs. Is that a mistake?
This facility is very likely a supplier of fossil fuel, carbon dioxide or fluorinated gases and not a direct emitter. Suppliers can be importers or exporters of fossil fuels or other products, which are distributed, used, and emit greenhouse gases elsewhere. Some suppliers are located in office buildings or other non-industrial locations.
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EPA tracks and reports a variety of other emissions from facilities such as these. The following is a list of resources where this information can be found.
- EPA's EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory is a database containing data on disposal or other releases of over 600 toxic chemicals from thousands of U.S. facilities and information about how facilities manage those chemicals through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment.
- EPA's EPA’s National Emissions Inventory is a comprehensive and detailed estimate of air emissions of both Criteria and Hazardous air pollutants from all air emissions sources.
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Greenhouse gas emissions do not have direct adverse effects on human health like other air pollutants such as mercury or fine particulates. Instead, GHGs contribute to global warming causing the Earth's Earth’s climate to change which in turn endangers human health and welfare. For example, a warmer climate will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and death, and will worsen conditions for air pollution. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/.
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What do the quantities of GHG emissions mean in everyday terms?
EPA's EPA’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator can help you translate GHG emissions measurements into easily understood concrete terms, such as "equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of 183,000 cars annually." Note that the GHG Reporting Program provides emissions information in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, so be sure to select metric tons when using the equivalency calculator.
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