Glossary of Terms
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change): An international environmental treaty aimed at combating "dangerous human interference with the climate system."
Kyoto Protocol: Adopted in 1997, it was the first implementation of measures under the UNFCCC, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 to 2020.
Paris Agreement: Adopted in 2015, it replaced the Kyoto Protocol commitments, focusing on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change): A United Nations body established in 1988 to advance knowledge on human-induced climate change and evaluate its impacts.
G20: A group of 19 countries and the European Union addressing issues like global economy, financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.
Aerosols: Fine solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, either natural or manmade.
Anthropocene: The era where human actions have significantly impacted the Earth and its environment.
Biodiversity: Biological variability or variety at a genetic, species, and ecosystem level.
Biofuel: Organic material used to produce heat or electricity, typically derived from contemporary biological processes.
Carbon Budget: The upper limit of global carbon dioxide emissions that must be adhered to maintain a specific global average temperature.
Carbon Cycle: The process through which carbon is exchanged between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Carbon Capture and Utilization: Absorbing or capturing carbon from the air and using it for other industrial purposes.
Carbon Dioxide Emission Equivalent (CO2e): A measure of the impact of greenhouse gases, other than carbon dioxide, on the planet.
Carbon Dioxide Removal: Extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for long-term burial or storage.
Carbon Footprint: The total greenhouse gas emission caused by an individual, organization, or country.
Carbon Neutral: Achieving a balance where the amount of carbon emissions produced is equal to the amount removed from the atmosphere.
Carbon Offset: The removal of CO2 or other greenhouse gases to compensate for emissions created elsewhere.
Carbon Sequestration: Storing carbon in natural geological formations underground, trapping the gas permanently.
Carbon Sink: Natural formations like forests and oceans that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Clean Energy: Energy generated from naturally replenished resources, known as renewable energy, that does not produce CO2 as a byproduct.
Climate: The long-term pattern of weather in a region.Climate Change: Long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns.
Climate Justice: Addressing the ethical dimensions of climate change.
Climate Migration: Movement of people due to changes in weather patterns, like rising sea levels and frequent droughts.
Deforestation: Removal of forests or stands of trees to clear land for other purposes.
Desertification: Land degradation where fertile soil becomes arid due to factors like drought and deforestation.
Drawdown: A milestone for reversing climate change where greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are steadily declining.
Ecosystem: An area where living organisms and their physical environment interact through nutrient cycles and energy flows.
Electric Vehicle (EV): A vehicle powered either partially or fully by an electric source.
Emissions: Greenhouse gases released through human activities like the combustion of fossil fuels.
Emissions Trading: A market-based system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through economic incentives.
Energy Efficiency: Using less energy to accomplish the same task or provide the same service.
Erosion: Natural forces wearing away or moving soil, rock, and other earth materials.
ESG Reporting: Disclosure of an organization's environmental, social, and governance impacts.
Fluorinated Gases: Human-produced gases used in industrial applications that significantly contribute to global warming.
Fossil Fuels: Materials containing hydrogen and carbon found underground and used for energy.
Geoengineering: Large-scale intervention in environmental processes to halt or reverse climate change.
Geothermal Energy: Renewable energy drawn from beneath the Earth's surface.
Gigaton (Gt): A unit of mass equal to one billion metric tons.
Global Warming: The gradual increase in the Earth's surface temperature due to increases in greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse Effect: Trapping of the sun's radiant energy by gases in the Earth's lower atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, including CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Hydroelectric Power: Electricity generated using the power of moving water.
Ice Sheet: A large glacial ice mass.
Indigenous Knowledge: Local knowledge and practices developed by communities over centuries.
Industrial Revolution: The period marking the transition to industrial and machine manufacturing in Europe and the US.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): A system to rate building performance on sustainability and environmental impact.
Megawatt (MW) and Gigawatt (GW): Units of power measurement.
Methane (CH4): A potent greenhouse gas.
Mitigation: Reduction of something harmful.
Natural Gas: A non-renewable fossil fuel used mainly for heating, electricity generation, and manufacture of products.
Net-Zero Emissions: Balancing human-caused greenhouse gas emissions with emission reductions.
Nuclear Energy: Energy derived from the process of nuclear fission or fusion.
Ocean Acidification: Decrease in ocean pH due to increased uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Ocean Currents: Continuous movement of ocean water caused by several forces, including wind.
Organic Farming: Ecologically friendly agricultural methods to grow crops or raise livestock.
Ozone Layer: A shield in the Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation.
Peatlands: Wetland ecosystems known for storing carbon.
Permafrost: Frozen land near the Arctic circle and high-altitude mountaintops.
Petrochemicals: Chemical products made from refined petroleum.
pH: A scale indicating the level of acidity in a solution.
Photosynthesis: The process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.
Plastic: Materials mostly made from fossil fuels and containing carbon.
Recycling: Processing waste to create new materials.
Reforestation: Planting seeds or young trees to replace a lost forest.
Runoff: Water from rain or snow that reaches bodies of water, often containing dissolved or suspended material.
Saltwater Intrusion: Rising sea levels bringing saltwater to low coastal land, affecting soil and ecosystems.
Sea Ice: Floating frozen seawater.
Sea Level Change: Changes in sea level due to warming temperatures and melting ice.
Soil Degradation: Decrease in the quality of soil due to improper use of land.
Sustainability: Producing in a way that does not deplete resources or harm the environment.
Tidal Surge: Rising seawater level caused by a storm.
Ton and Tonne: Units for measuring weight, with "tonne" being the metric equivalent.
Waterborne Disease: Illnesses caused by microorganisms and contaminants in water.
Wetlands: Land naturally saturated in water, serving as important ecosystems.
Wildfire: An uncontrolled fire destroying an ecosystem.