Climate change jargon buster

Climate change discussions and reports include a wide range of commonly used terminology sitting at the heart of the topic, but what do these words and phrases mean, and why is understanding them important?

This guide gives an overview of some critical climate and sustainability terminology and their descriptions.

1.5 degrees is the maximum rise in average global temperatures, compared to the pre-industrial period, that scientists have determined must be kept below to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Adaptation refers to actions which are necessary to deal with the climate impacts that cannot be mitigated.

Carbon Footprint is the amount of carbon emissions associated with all the activities a person, or other entity, emits. Curious about your own footprint? Use this tool from WWF to determine your current environmental footprint and identify changes you could make to reduce your impact.

Climate Change Mitigation essentially refers to actions which will lead to the avoidance or reduction of emissions or will reduce the projected impacts of warmer temperatures (global warming).

Climate Resilience means ensuring that our communities are adapted to cope with the projected impacts of global warming locally.

COP stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’ and is an event run by the United Nations annually and attended by world leaders to discuss what needs to be put in place to tackle climate change.

Carbon Emissions are often used as shorthand to refer to the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide is the most widely emitted greenhouse gas by humans and other gases can be measured in relation to it: data for all greenhouse gases are translated into a single comparable unit, carbon dioxide equivalence, or CO2e, usually measured in kilogrammes or tonnes. Therefore, one tonne of CO2e has the global warming impact of one tonne of CO2, but it can be a mix of greenhouse gases.

Emission Scopes are a way of categorising emission sources in relation to the reporting organisation, used as a way of providing transparency in emissions accounting, making it clear the type of emission source and the level of control of the reporting organisation over the source. Three levels of scope have been defined and used on a global basis.

Fossil fuels include oil, coal, and natural gas that provide energy for much of our day-to-day activities as humans. However, as well as being a finite resource, the burning of fossil fuels release greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming.

Global warming refers to the increased average temperatures that are now measured on Earth compared with the last century, a value of around 1.1C warming compared to 1900.

Greenhouse Effect is the natural process by which greenhouse gases trap heat close to the Earth’s surface, acting as an insulating blanket and regulating our climate. Without this effect, the average temperature on Earth is estimated to be -18C. However, the increase in greenhouse gas emissions from human activity has altered the natural balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect, which is increasing temperatures and driving climate change.

Greenhouse Gases refers to gases that provide the atmospheric conditions to regulate our climate, including water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides. These gases, which cause the greenhouse effect, are essential for life on Earth, however human activity has rapidly changed the concentrations of greenhouse gases leading to global warming and climate instability.

IPCC refers to the International Panel on Climate Change. This scientific body provides a clear scientific perspective on up-to-date climate change knowledge and effects from thousands of researchers around the world.

Net Zero refers to the balancing of greenhouse gas emissions, such that the same quantity of emissions released into the atmosphere is also removed from it. Our Climate Change Strategy sets the Council objective to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2030 and to support a borough-wide net zero target of 2050.

Offsetting is a way of compensating for emissions arising in one place, by taking action elsewhere. For instance, it may not be possible, feasible or viable to actually reduce emissions from a particular source any further, so instead money would be diverted to deliver additionality in mitigation/sequestration projects elsewhere to make up for the emissions that will remain.

Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well-below 2C below pre-industrial levels and ideally below 1.5C. Adopted in 2015 and enforced from 2016, it was signed by 196 parties each of which sets voluntary emissions targets which tighten over time. Read more about the Paris Agreement 

Renewable Energy is energy derived from natural sources that are not depleted as they are used over time, such as solar and wind energy.

Sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the long-term storage of it, which can occur as a natural or artificial process. As a natural process, carbon sinks, such as trees, plants, soils, geological formations, and the ocean remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, although it should be noted that increasing sequestration by oceans can lead to harmful ocean acidification. Artificial processes, including direct carbon capture, utilise technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which can then be used or stored.

Sustainability refers to using resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This is relevant to finite resources that will run out if not used in a sustainable manner.  

For more jargon busting on Climate Change, see these resources from BBC Earth and the Financial Times