Glossary of Terms

Term 

Definition

1.5 C

A global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels, a key target of the Paris Agreement to limit the impacts of climate change.

Additionality

In the context of carbon offsetting, additionality refers to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that would not have occurred without a specific project or action. It's a criterion to ensure the effectiveness of carbon offset initiatives.

Baseline emissions

The level of greenhouse gas emissions that serves as a reference point for measuring the reduction achieved through emission reduction activities or projects.

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

A type of electric vehicle that operates solely on electricity stored in a rechargeable battery, without an internal combustion engine.

Biofuels

Fuels made from organic materials, such as plant biomass or waste, which can be used as a renewable and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels.

Bleisure travel

A merge of "business" and "leisure," it refers to combining business trips with leisure activities, allowing travelers to enjoy some personal time at their destination

Blue carbon

Carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, which plays a vital role in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Carbon accounting

The process of measuring, recording, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals by individuals, organizations, or countries to assess their carbon footprint and track progress toward emission reduction goals.

Carbon budget

The maximum allowable amount of carbon dioxide emissions that can be released into the atmosphere while limiting global warming to a specific target, such as 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Carbon credit

A tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit a specific quantity of greenhouse gasses, often used in cap-and-trade or carbon offset programs to incentivize emission reductions.

Carbon Dioxide 

Equivalent (CO2e)

A metric used to express the combined effect of various greenhouse gasses in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that would have the same warming impact over a specified timeframe.

Carbon footprint

The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions, typically expressed in CO2e, associated with an individual, organization, product, or activity, indicating its impact on climate change.

Carbon market

A system where greenhouse gas emissions allowances or credits are bought and sold, often used as a mechanism to reduce emissions through trading and financial incentives.

Carbon negative

Describes a state or action that removes more greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere than it emits, effectively reducing the overall concentration of such gasses.

Carbon neutral

An entity, activity, or product that has a net-zero carbon footprint, meaning it either emits no greenhouse gasses or offsets its emissions through reduction measures or carbon offset projects.

Carbon offset

A measure to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of emissions elsewhere, such as reforestation or renewable energy projects.

Carbon reduction

The act of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions through various strategies and measures aimed at mitigating climate change.

Carbon removal

Processes and technologies designed to extract and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, often used in conjunction with efforts to achieve carbon neutrality or negative emissions.

Carbon sink

Natural or artificial systems that absorb and store more carbon dioxide than they release, helping to mitigate the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

Carbon target

A specific goal or limit set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or achieving carbon neutrality, often associated with a particular timeframe and level of ambition.

Circular economy

An economic system that emphasizes sustainability by reducing waste and reusing resources in a closed-loop fashion, minimizing the environmental impact of production and consumption.

Climate change 

Long-term shifts in weather patterns and average temperatures on Earth, often

driven by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, resulting in global warming and related impacts.

Conference of the Parties (COP)

A series of international meetings under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) where countries discuss and negotiate climate-related agreements and actions.

Corporate sustainability

An approach taken by businesses to integrate social and environmental concerns into their strategies and operations, aiming to achieve long-term profitability while minimizing negative impacts.

Decarbonisation

The process of reducing or eliminating carbon emissions from various sources, such as energy production, transportation, and industry, as part of efforts to combat climate change.

Double counting

The unintentional or deliberate counting of greenhouse gas reductions or credits more than once in emissions accounting, which can lead to inaccuracies in measuring emissions reductions.

Earth Overshoot Day

The date in a calendar year when humanity's resource consumption exceeds the planet's capacity to regenerate those resources, indicating an ecological overshoot and unsustainable practices.

Emission factor

A numerical value that represents the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of a specific activity or product, often used in emissions calculations and inventories.

Electric Vehicle (EV)

A type of vehicle that runs on electricity stored in batteries or other energy storage systems, producing zero tailpipe emissions, and is considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles.

GHG protocol

A set of accounting standards and guidelines developed by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from various sources, including organizations and products.

Global Warming Potential

A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specified time period, compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), which is often used as a reference gas with a GWP of 1.

Great Circle Distance (GCD)

The shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, used to measure direct travel routes.

Greenhouse Gasses (GHG)

Gasses, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change when their concentrations increase.

Greenwashing

The deceptive practice of conveying a false or misleading impression of environmental responsibility or sustainability in a product, service, or organization's marketing or public relations efforts.

Hotel Carbon 

Measurement Initiative (HCMI)

A program guiding hotels to measure, report, and reduce carbon emissions, promoting sustainability in the hospitality sector.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) 

A trade association representing the global airline industry

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

A specialized agency of the United Nations that sets international standards and regulations for civil aviation, including environmental matters.

Insetting

An approach to corporate sustainability in which a company invests in environmental or social projects within its own supply chain or operations to achieve sustainability goals.

Internal Carbon Price / Carbon Pricing

An internal financial mechanism used by organizations to assign a monetary value to carbon emissions, helping to drive internal decision-making and encourage emissions reduction efforts.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

(IPCC)

A scientific body established by the United Nations to assess and report on the science of climate change and its potential impacts.

Metadata

Data that provides information about other data such as its source, format, time of creation, or author, helping to organize, find, and understand the main data more effectively.

Nature based solutions

Approaches to addressing environmental and climate challenges by harnessing the capabilities of nature, such as reforestation, wetland restoration, and sustainable land management, to provide ecological benefits.

Net-zero

The state in which an entity's or system's greenhouse gas emissions are completely balanced by the removal or offset of an equivalent amount of emissions, resulting in no net contribution to climate change.

Offset credits

Tradable certificates or units representing verified greenhouse gas reductions or removals, often used in carbon offset programs and markets to demonstrate emission mitigation efforts.

Offset registry

A database or platform where information about offset projects, credits, and transactions is recorded and tracked, ensuring transparency and credibility in carbon offset markets.

Offsetting

The practice of compensating for one's greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of emissions from the atmosphere, typically through carbon offset credits.

Radiative Forcing (RF)

The change in the balance of incoming and outgoing energy in the Earth's atmosphere due to factors like greenhouse gasses, aerosols, and solar radiation, which can influence the Earth's climate and temperature.

REDD+

A program under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that stands for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Plus Conservation and Sustainable Forest Management."

Regulatory carbon market

A carbon market established and mandated by government regulations, which often includes emissions trading programs, carbon pricing mechanisms, and legally binding emissions reduction targets.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Aviation fuels made from sustainable and renewable sources, such as biofuels, that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry.

Science-Based Targets 

A collaborative effort to encourage and assist companies in setting scientifically

Initiative (SBTi) 

rigorous greenhouse gas reduction targets aligned with climate goals.

Scope 1 emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions directly produced by an organization or entity, often stemming from activities like combustion of fossil fuels within the organization's operations.

Scope 2 emissions

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the consumption of purchased or generated electricity, heat, or steam used by an organization, typically beyond its operational boundaries.

Scope 3 emissions

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from an organization's value chain activities, including emissions from suppliers, customers, and other external sources related to the organization's operations.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations to address various social, economic, and environmental challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and sustainable development.

Tank-to-wheel/wake

Emissions and energy use from the actual combustion or use of the fuel to movea vehicle or vessel.

Voluntary carbon market

A carbon market where organizations and individuals voluntarily purchase carbon offsets or credits to mitigate their emissions and demonstrate environmental responsibility, often outside of regulatory requirements.

Well-to-tank (WTT)

Refers to the energy use and emissions from extracting, processing, and delivering a fuel to the point of use.

Well-to-wheel (WTW)

Covers the full life cycle of a fuel, from extraction to its final use, combining both production (WTT) and combustion (Tank-to-Wake) emissions.

Zero waste

An approach and goal aimed at minimizing waste generation and maximizing recycling, reuse, and sustainable practices to send as little waste as possible to landfills or incineration.