Glossary for next-gen climate leaders
We promised no jargon. We mean it. Search and discover environmental terms and learn new concepts.
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- 1.5°CThe Paris Agreement commits 195 countries to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Scientists have calculated that reaching 1.5°C, the ‘safe’ level is ideal and requires 50% emissions cut by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
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- BiodiversityBiological diversity or biodiversity for short refers to the living component of nature. This includes all the living organism (animals, plants, microorganisms, and fungi) and the ecosystems they live in (forests). Biodiversity also includes the diversity of genes within species, the variety(...)
- BiosphereThe biosphere is part of the Earth's system where all living organisms exist on the Earth’s surface. It refers to all living organisms (i.e. plants, animals, and microorganisms) and the supporting environment, like air, water, and soil.
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- Carbon accountingCarbon accounting refers to the measurement and monitoring processes used to quantify how much carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) an organisation (i.e. company or state) emits.
- Carbon budgetA carbon budget is the maximum amount of greenhouse gas emissions that humanity is allowed to emit over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold (1.5°C or 2°C). Budgets usually apply to a country, company, or organisation.
- Carbon creditA token received in exchange for the purchase of an offset activity. Carbon credits are measurable, verifiable emission reductions from certified climate action projects. These projects reduce, remove or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Once an organisation or an individual buys a carbon(...)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colourless and odorless gas. It is a molecule in the air consisting of one part carbon and two parts oxygen. It is one of the most common greenhouse gases.
- Carbon footprintA carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event, or product.
- Clean energyEnergy that is produced from sources that do not pollute by producing little to no greenhouse gas emissions. This can include both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. Examples include solar, wind, hydro and nuclear energy.
- ClimateClimate describes long-term patterns (or average) of weather conditions, such as wind, humidity, temperature, and rain for a particular region or the planet as a whole. Climate is usually classified as tropical, subtropical, mediterranean, temperate, arid, desert, tundra, or polar.
- Climate adaptionClimate adaption refers to actions that lower the risks posed by climate change. E.g. building flooding defences to protect against sea-level or farmers planting different seeds.
- Climate changeClimate change refers to long-term, broader changes in the Earth’s climate system. These changes happen over decades to millions of years, and examples include rising temperature (aka global warming), rising sea levels, shrinking of polar ice caps, extreme weather events (i.e. stronger(...)
- COP26COP stands for 'Conference of the Parties' and countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty in 1994 attend this meeting. It's called COP26 because this is the 26th meeting. The UK will host the 26th COP at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in(...)
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- EcosystemAn ecosystem is a specific part of nature, where communities of living organisms, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms interact with their physical environment. Ecosystems can be large (i.e. a tropical rainforest or ocean) or small (i.e. a pond).
- Ecosystem servicesEcosystem services refer to the direct and indirect benefits that humans derive from nature and ecosystems. The “services” include things like clean water, air purification, soil formation, climate regulation, pollination, food production, providing raw materials, and cultural and recreational(...)
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- Global warmingGlobal warming is the long-term warming of the planet's overall temperature. The warming is caused when greenhouse gases (GHGs) are trapped in the earth’s surface (atmosphere), which means the planet gets hotter.
- Greenhouse effectThe greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs when certain gases, called greenhouse gases, trap heat from the sun and keep the planet warm enough to keep us and other living things alive.
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG)A greenhouse gas (GHG) is any gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation (or net heat energy) causing the greenhouse effect and thereby global warming.
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG) ProtocolThe GHG Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardised frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private and public sector operations and supply chains. They define emissions into three scopes, where the scopes relate to who 'owns' those emissions.
- Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a group of gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The top six well-known and most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapour (H2O), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
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- Montreal TreatyAn international agreement designed to protect the ozone layer. They do this by banning the production and consumption of nearly 100 harmful ozone-depleting substances. The agreement was signed in 1987 in Montreal, Canada by 197 United Nations (UN) states.
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- National Determined Contributions (NDCs)The Paris Agreement requires every country to submit its climate action plan on how they'll be reducing their emissions. The first plan was submitted in 2015 at the time of signing, and then every 5 years countries are due to submit an updated plan.
- NatureNature refers to the entire natural world around us, both living (such as animals, plants, and forests) and non-living things (such as the physical environment including water, climate, oceans, rivers, and atmosphere).
- Nature positiveNature positive means reversing the current decline of nature so that species and ecosystems begin recovering. This includes reaching full recovery by 2050 whereby nature has been restored and is regenerating rather than declining.
- Net positiveNet Positive is an approach where organisations put more back into the environment, society, and the economy than it takes out, with a resulting positive impact.
- Net positive companyA net positive company as defined by Paul Polman is one that “improves well-being for everyone it impacts and at all scales—every product, every operation, every region and country, and for every stakeholder, including employees, suppliers, communities, customers, and even future generations(...)
- Net-Zero emissionsNet-zero emissions means achieving an overall balance between emissions produced and emissions removed from the atmosphere. The Paris Agreement requires all countries to reach net-zero emissions by the year 2050.
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- Ozone layerA layer in the Earth's upper atmosphere that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This layer contains large amounts of ozone, which is a special form of oxygen gas (O₃).
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- Paris AgreementAn international agreement between 195 countries with two goals. One, to reduce carbon emissions and two, to keep global temperature rise to well below 2°C.
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- Renewable energyEnergy that is collected from natural resources that can be easily replaced, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. It's recyclable and in theory, we'll never run out it. Examples include solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.
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- Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) provides companies with best practices and a target-setting methodology to help them set emissio reduction targets based on climate science and in line with the Paris Agreement.
- Science Based Targets (SBT)Science-Based Targets (SBTs) are emission reduction targets that comply with the Paris Agreement. SBTs can be aligned to 1.5°C and/or well below 2°C.
- Scope 1 emissionsDirect emissions that occur from sources that are owned or controlled by the company e.g. building onsite energy use. Sometimes it's also referred to as 'operational emissions'.
- Scope 2 emissionsIndirect emissions from the generation of electricity, steam, heating and cooling that is purchased and used by the company.
- Scope 3 emissionsIndirect emissions from sources outside of your company’s control, including the production of raw materials used to make products, customer use of products, and end-of-life treatment.
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- WeatherWeather simply describes short-term changes in the atmosphere, such as rain, wind, sun, snow, and temperature. Weather can change in a short period of time, like minutes, hours, days, and seasons.