Permanence
The permanence of carbon storage - whether emissions reductions or removals will continue over time without reversal.
Scope 1 Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions that come from sources owned or controlled directly by the organization.
Scope 2 Emissions
Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the organization.
Scope 3 Emissions
All other indirect emissions occurring in the organization’s value chain, both upstream and downstream of the organization, outside of Scope 2.
Decarbonisation
The process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from energy systems, industries, and other sectors, usually through clean technologies and renewable energy sources.
Carbon Footprint
The total greenhouse gas emissions expressed in terms of CO₂e directly or indirectly emitted by an individual, organization, event, or product. It includes emissions from energy use, transportation, manufacturing, and more.
Carbon Budget
The maximum allowable CO₂ emissions over a specific period to prevent exceeding the global temperature threshold (e.g., above 1.5°C or 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels).
Carbon Farming
An agricultural approach that increases the ability of soils and vegetation to capture and store carbon. Techniques include cover crops, reduced tillage, and agroforestry.
Carbon Offsetting
The act of purchasing a carbon credit to compensate for a ton of greenhouse gas emissions released elsewhere and canceling or invalidating that unit. When subject is offset, the unabated emissions associated equal the amount of canceled or invalidated carbon credits.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO₂e)
A standardized unit for measuring carbon footprints. It expresses the impacts of different greenhouse gases in terms of the amount of CO₂ that would create the same warming effect.
Carbon Pricing
A market-based approach to controlling carbon emissions by providing economic incentives to reduce emissions through carbon taxes or market mechanisms (cap-and-trade).
Carbon Leakage
The phenomenon where emissions reductions in one country or sector are offset by increases elsewhere, often due to polluting industries relocating to less regulated areas.
Carbon Credit
A tradable certificate or permit representing the removal or prevention of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.
Carbon Neutrality
A balance between carbon emissions and carbon removals or absorption from the atmosphere, usually through offsets or removal strategies.
Carbon Market
A trading system where countries, companies, or individuals can buy and sell greenhouse gas emission units. It includes both compliance markets and voluntary markets.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
A technology that captures CO₂ emissions from sources like power plants and industrial processes to prevent CO₂ from entering the atmosphere. The captured CO₂ is then transported underground and stored in geological formations.
Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU)
Technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from typically industrial processes, energy generation, or directly from the air and convert it into useful products instead of permanently storing it underground.
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
Technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from sources like power plants and industrial facilities or directly from the atmosphere, and either use the captured CO₂ in various products or processes or store it permanently underground to prevent its release into the atmosphere.
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
Combines biomass energy production with carbon capture to achieve negative emissions.
Carbon Intensity
The amount of carbon (CO₂) emitted per unit of output or activity (e.g., per kWh of electricity, per dollar of GDP). Lower carbon intensity indicates more climate-friendly production.
Carbon Sink
A natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores chemical compounds containing carbon for an indefinite period.
Loss and Damage
Compensation for irreparable climate damages negotiated under the UNFCCC.
Registry
A database used to assign legal ownership of carbon credits and transactions through a unique identifier, where credits are canceled (invalidated) when sold to balance an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
Crediting Period
The period allowed for a carbon offset project to generate carbon credits. Typically ranges from 7 to 30 years, depending on the project type and methodology.
Drought Atlas
Historical datasets showing how drought risks are interconnected across sectors such as energy, agriculture, river transportation, and international trade, demonstrating how they can create a domino effect by fueling inequalities and conflicts while threatening public health.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
A business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits for all stakeholders.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting
The disclosure of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance by companies, including climate risks and carbon footprint metrics.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
A European Union (EU) regulation that significantly broadens and strengthens the requirements for companies to disclose information about their ESG impacts and performances.
Global Stocktake
A UNFCCC process that takes place every 5 years to assess collective progress toward the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Kyoto Mechanisms
The Kyoto Mechanisms are a set of mechanisms designed to assist countries in cost-effectively meeting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the first international treaty to commit industrialized countries to legally binding emissions reductions. The Kyoto Mechanisms include: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI), and International Emissions Trading (IET).
