Sustainability Terms

Glossary

Browse our comprehensive glossary of sustainability and environmental terms. Use the search bar or select a letter to find specific terms.

A

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Air Pollution

Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by physical, chemical, or biological agents that alter its natural composition. It poses severe risks to human health, ecosystems, and climate stability, with major sources including fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, and agricultural activities.

B

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Biofuel

Biofuels are renewable energy sources derived from organic matter such as crops, agricultural waste, algae, and animal fats. While they can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, their overall sustainability depends on production methods, land use practices, and lifecycle emissions.

C

Carbon accounting

Learn what carbon accounting means, how it quantifies an organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions in CO₂-eq, and why it’s vital for sustainability reporting, compliance, and business growth in the UK and beyond.

Carbon Accounting Software

Discover what carbon accounting software is, how it helps businesses measure and manage their emissions, and why it’s essential for achieving sustainability goals.

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint represents the total amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide—released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities, whether by an individual, organization, event, product, or nation. Understanding your carbon footprint is the first step toward meaningful climate action and sustainability.

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Carbon Neutral

Carbon neutrality means achieving a balance between carbon emissions produced and carbon removed from the atmosphere. Organizations and individuals reach this state by reducing emissions as much as possible and offsetting remaining emissions through verified carbon removal or avoidance projects.

D

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Decarbonization

Decarbonization is the process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the economy, particularly from energy production, transportation, and industrial processes. It represents the fundamental transformation required to limit global warming and achieve climate goals set by the Paris Agreement.

E

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Emissions Factor

An emissions factor is a standardized coefficient that quantifies the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of activity, such as energy consumption, distance traveled, or material produced. These factors are essential tools for calculating carbon footprints and enabling consistent environmental accounting.

F

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are energy sources formed from ancient organic matter buried and compressed over millions of years, including coal, oil, and natural gas. While providing most of the world's energy, burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon dioxide, making them the primary driver of climate change.

G

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Greenhouse Gas Protocol

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is the world's most widely used framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It provides standardized methods for businesses, governments, and organizations to calculate, report, and reduce their carbon footprints across operations and value chains.

H

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Heat Pump

A heat pump is an energy-efficient technology that transfers heat from one location to another, providing both heating and cooling for buildings. By moving existing heat rather than generating it through combustion, heat pumps can reduce energy consumption and emissions by 50-70% compared to traditional heating systems.

I

The A-Z Of Sustainability

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body responsible for assessing the science of climate change. Established in 1988, it provides policymakers with comprehensive evaluations of climate science, impacts, risks, and response strategies based on peer-reviewed research.

J

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Just Transition

A just transition refers to the equitable shift from fossil fuel-based economies to sustainable, low-carbon systems that protects workers, communities, and vulnerable populations from negative social and economic impacts. It ensures that the benefits and burdens of climate action are distributed fairly across society.

K

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol was the first major international agreement requiring countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Adopted in 1997 and entering force in 2005, it established legally binding emission reduction targets for developed nations and created carbon trading mechanisms still used today.

L

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product, service, or process throughout its entire existence—from raw material extraction through production, use, and disposal. It provides a holistic view of environmental performance beyond single-stage analysis.

M

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Methane

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas with 28-36 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over 100 years. Emitted from agriculture, fossil fuel extraction, and waste decomposition, reducing methane emissions offers one of the fastest opportunities to slow near-term climate change.

N

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Net Zero

Net zero means achieving a balance between greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and those removed from it. Unlike carbon neutrality, net zero requires deep emission reductions across all greenhouse gases, with offsetting limited to truly unavoidable residual emissions, typically no more than 5-10% of baseline.

O

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Offsetting (Carbon Offsetting)

Carbon offsetting involves compensating for greenhouse gas emissions by funding projects that avoid, reduce, or remove an equivalent amount of CO₂ from the atmosphere. While useful for addressing unavoidable emissions, offsets should complement—not replace—direct emission reductions within an organization's operations.

P

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty adopted in 2015 where 196 countries committed to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels. Unlike previous agreements, it uses a bottom-up approach where each country sets its own emission reduction targets.

R

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is power generated from naturally replenishing sources that are not depleted when used, including solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and sustainable biomass. Transitioning to renewables is essential for decarbonizing energy systems and achieving climate goals while providing clean, affordable power.

S

Scope 1

Discover what Scope 1 emissions are, how they affect your carbon footprint, and why managing them is key to business sustainability.

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Scope 1, 2, 3 Emissions

Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are the three categories used to classify greenhouse gas emissions in corporate carbon accounting. Understanding these scopes is essential for comprehensive emissions measurement, as Scope 3 often represents 70-90% of an organization's total carbon footprint yet frequently goes unmeasured.

Scope 2

Discover what Scope 2 emissions are, how they affect your carbon footprint, and why managing them is key to business sustainability.

Scope 3

Discover what Scope 3 emissions are, how they affect your carbon footprint, and why managing them is key to business sustainability.

T

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Tipping Point (Climate Tipping Point)

Climate tipping points are critical thresholds in the Earth's climate system where small changes trigger large, often irreversible shifts in planetary conditions. Once crossed, these tipping points can create self-reinforcing feedback loops that accelerate warming independently of human activities, making them a key concern in climate science.

U

The A-Z Of Sustainability

Upcycling

Upcycling is the creative process of transforming waste materials or unwanted products into new items of higher quality, value, or environmental benefit. Unlike recycling which breaks down materials, upcycling reimagines and repurposes items in their current form, extending product lifespans and reducing resource consumption.

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