Glossary topic · 20 terms
Trust & evidence.
Verification, claims and the paper trail a number needs before anyone should believe it.
Audit trail
A chronological record that allows actions and changes to be followed.
Trust & evidenceCalibration
Comparison of an instrument's readings with an appropriate reference under specified conditions.
Trust & evidenceCarbon neutral
A state in which the CO₂ emissions attributed to a person, organisation, product or activity are balanced by CO₂ removals over a stated period.
Trust & evidenceClimate positive
A marketing term for claims that an organisation or product removes or compensates for more greenhouse gas than it emits.
Trust & evidenceConflict of interest
A situation in which another interest could influence a person's professional judgement or responsibilities.
Trust & evidenceContribution claim
A statement that an organisation has funded climate action outside its own value chain without counting it against its own emissions.
Trust & evidenceEnvironmental claim
A statement or representation about an environmental attribute or effect.
Trust & evidenceGeneric environmental claim
A broad environmental statement whose specification is not clearly and prominently provided on the same medium under EU rules.
Trust & evidenceGreenwashing
Communication that creates a misleading impression of environmental performance.
Trust & evidenceIndependent assurance
A review performed by a party sufficiently separate from the activity being assessed.
Trust & evidenceMateriality
The significance of information for a defined assessment or decision.
Trust & evidenceMeasurement uncertainty
The quantified or described doubt associated with a measurement result.
Trust & evidenceMeasurement, reporting and verification (MRV)
A system for measuring emissions or actions, reporting the results and checking them against defined criteria.
Trust & evidenceMonitoring
Repeated observation or measurement of relevant conditions or performance.
Trust & evidenceReporting
Organised communication of data, methods and outcomes to a defined audience.
Trust & evidenceSubstantiation
Evidence that supports a stated claim.
Trust & evidenceTraceability
The ability to follow an activity, record or unit through relevant stages.
Trust & evidenceTransparency
Making relevant information accessible enough for others to understand and examine decisions or results.
Trust & evidenceValidation
Assessment of a proposed activity or design against specified requirements.
Trust & evidenceVerification
An assessment of reported information against defined criteria.