Sustainability Glossary Series: Part 2 (Climate Change)

—

by

Zuzana Tatta Velickova
in ,

Understanding Basic Climate Change Terminology

Welcome to Part 2 of our Sustainability Glossary Series! In this installment, we’re diving into key terms related to climate change, a central issue in global sustainability efforts. As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent concern for businesses, understanding the language of climate science and climate action is essential. Whether you’re just starting your sustainability journey or refining your strategy, this glossary will help you make sense of the terminology around climate change, providing definitions and resources for further learning.

1. Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Definition: Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and accelerating climate change. The most common GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases. These gases are emitted through activities like burning fossil fuels, agriculture, and industrial processes.

Why It Matters:
Understanding GHGs is critical for businesses aiming to reduce their carbon footprint. Each gas has a different global warming potential (GWP), so addressing the most impactful GHGs in your operations can help make a significant difference in mitigating climate change.

Learn More:

2. Climate Resilience

Definition: Climate resilience refers to the ability of a business, community, or ecosystem to withstand, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. This includes planning for increased extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and temperature fluctuations that may disrupt operations.

Why It Matters:
Climate resilience is essential for businesses to ensure continuity and reduce risks caused by climate-related disruptions. It’s not only about adapting to change but also about building capacity to recover and continue to grow in the face of challenges.

Learn More:

3. Carbon Offsetting

Definition: Carbon offset refers to compensating for emissions produced by a business through projects that remove or reduce an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. These may include reforestation, renewable energy installations, or methane capture from landfills. Some scientists question carbon offsets due to concerns about project reliability and the potential for misuse (such as misleading customers or using offsets as an excuse for continued high emissions). However, they do help raise awareness about the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Why It Matters:
While reducing emissions should always be the top priority, carbon offsetting offers an additional way to neutralize unavoidable emissions. It’s a tool some companies use to help achieve net zero emissions by investing in credible offset projects.

Learn More:

  • The Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) are two major platforms offering verified carbon offset projects.
  • The Offset Guide is a resource that helps individuals and businesses understand and choose credible carbon offset projects. It offers guidance on offsetting emissions and selecting reliable providers.

4. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Definition: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions at their source (such as power plants) and stores them underground or in other long-term storage sites. This process prevents CO₂ from being released into the atmosphere, thus reducing its contribution to global warming.

Why It Matters:
CCS is seen as a critical technology for industries that are difficult to decarbonize, such as cement or steel manufacturing. It can also help businesses that are aiming for net zero to address emissions that are hard to eliminate entirely.

Learn More:

5. Climate Justice

Definition: Climate justice is the principle saying that the impacts of climate change and its solutions should be shared fairly, with special attention to vulnerable communities who contribute least to emissions but suffer the most. It calls for policies that protect marginalized groups such as low-income communities and indigenous peoples.

Why It Matters:
As climate change deepens existing inequalities, climate justice ensures solutions are fair, inclusive, and centered on vulnerable communities. It calls for policies that address not just environmental, but also social and economic impacts, prioritizing human rights and equity. Climate justice aims to empower affected communities, giving them a voice in decisions and fostering resilience to ensure no one is left behind.

Learn More:                                                     

  • The Climate Justice Alliance advocates for policies that tackle both climate change and inequality.
  • 350.org focuses on a global, inclusive response to climate change.

6. Renewable Energy

Definition: Renewable energy comes from naturally replenishing sources, such as solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources do not emit greenhouse gases during their use and have a much smaller environmental footprint.

Why It Matters:
Transitioning to renewable energy is one of the most effective ways for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and help mitigate climate change. In addition to the environmental benefits, renewable energy can lead to cost savings as technologies become more affordable and widely accessible.

Learn More:

  • The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) offers resources, reports, and case studies on renewable energy technologies and global trends.
  • RE100 is a global initiative where businesses commit to sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable sources.

7. Carbon Intensity

Definition: Carbon intensity (or emission intensity, if it also takes into account emissions from other greenhouse gases) refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of energy or product produced. It is typically expressed in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour (gCO₂/kWh) or per unit of output, and is a key indicator of how efficiently a business is using energy.

Why It Matters:
Lowering carbon intensity is crucial for businesses that want to reduce their environmental impact while maintaining or improving production levels. By optimizing energy use and shifting to low-carbon energy sources, businesses can significantly decrease their carbon intensity.

Learn More:

  • The Carbon Trust provides tools and resources for businesses to measure and reduce their carbon intensity.
  • The CO₂ Intensity Chart from Our World in Data shows the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of economic output (kilograms of CO₂ per dollar of GDP), allowing for comparisons of carbon efficiency across countries over time.

Conclusion: Building Your Knowledge of Climate Change Terms

Understanding these climate change-related terms is essential for any business committed to sustainability. Whether you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, invest in renewable energy, or develop a resilience strategy, having a solid grasp of these key concepts will help guide your efforts.

These terms are just the beginning. As we continue our glossary series, we’ll explore additional sustainability topics and provide more resources to help you navigate the complexities of climate action.

Did you find these definitions helpful? Share this post with your network and let us know in the comments which climate-related terms you’d like to learn more about next!

Comments

Leave a comment