CO2 emissions are the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, usually measured in tonnes or kilograms. In buildings and industrial systems, they are estimated from fuel use, electricity consumption, and control data. The metric matters because it is a common proxy for climate impact and is used in reporting, regulation, and efficiency programs.
For cyber security, CO2 emissions data is only as reliable as the systems that produce it. Building management systems, smart meters, and cloud dashboards can be manipulated if attackers gain access or if sensors are poorly protected. That can distort compliance reports, hide waste, or break optimization models. Defenses include access control, network segmentation, signed telemetry, and audit logs so operators can trust the emissions figures they use to make decisions.