Glossary topic · 21 terms
Climate action.
The vocabulary of doing something about it, from targets and transition plans to the words companies love printing.
Avoided emissions
Emissions estimated not to occur compared with a defined counterfactual scenario.
Climate actionCarbon capture and storage
Capture of CO₂ from a source, transport and storage intended to isolate it from the atmosphere.
Climate actionCarbon dioxide removal
Human activity that takes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it in a reservoir.
Climate actionClimate adaptation
Adjustment to actual or expected climate effects to reduce harm or take advantage of opportunities.
Climate actionClimate mitigation
Human intervention that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or increases their removal from the atmosphere.
Climate actionClimate neutral
A state in which human activities have no net effect on the climate system, counting all greenhouse gases and land-surface effects such as albedo.
Climate actionClimate resilience
The capacity to cope with climate-related disturbances while maintaining or adapting essential functions.
Climate actionCo-benefit
A beneficial effect beyond the primary objective of an intervention.
Climate actionDecarbonisation
Reduction of carbon emissions associated with an activity or economy.
Climate actionDemand-side mitigation
Changes in service demand and the ways services are provided that reduce emissions.
Climate actionDirect air capture
A process that separates CO₂ directly from ambient air.
Climate actionEmission reduction
A decrease in greenhouse gas emissions relative to a stated reference.
Climate actionJust transition
A transition that seeks fair treatment and decent opportunities for workers and communities affected by economic change.
Climate actionMaladaptation
An adaptation response that increases climate risk or vulnerability, now or later.
Climate actionNet zero
A balance between human-caused emissions and removals, used as a target that may cover CO₂ alone or all greenhouse gases.
Climate actionNet zero CO₂
A state in which human-caused CO₂ emissions are balanced by human-caused removals over a specified period.
Climate actionNet zero greenhouse gases
A balance between human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and removals, weighted using a specified metric.
Climate actionRebound effect
A response in which efficiency gains lead to changes in behaviour or activity that offset part of the expected saving.
Climate actionResidual emissions
Emissions remaining after mitigation measures have been implemented within a specified pathway or system.
Climate actionScience Based Targets initiative
An organisation that sets criteria for corporate emission targets and assesses whether submitted targets align with climate science.
Climate actionTransition plan
An organisation's time-bound plan for aligning its operations, spending and targets with a lower-emission pathway.