Glossary
An A to Z guide to some of the sustainability and environmental terms and acronyms we often use.
An A to Z guide to some of the sustainability and environmental terms and acronyms we often use.
Embodied carbon (sometimes known as embedded carbon) is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated during the production of a product. It is a common term for the carbon footprint of a building/infrastructure project just before the building is operational. This includes emissions caused by extraction, manufacture/processing, transportation and assembly of every product and element. In some cases, (depending on the boundary of an assessment), it may also include the maintenance, replacement, deconstruction, disposal and end-of-life aspects of the materials and systems that make up the asset. It excludes operational emissions of the product.
The agreement reached by nations at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. The pact includes a range of decisions that aim to curb greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change. It is the first climate agreement explicitly planning to reduce unabated coal usage.
Regeneration is the process of bringing something into a renewed existence. A regenerative business is aware of its place in its wider ecosystem and looks to operate in a way that reflects this.
Relating to foods, products or farming methods produced from natural sources. Or involving production without the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals.
KPI's are quantitative benchmarks for the performance of your business
Inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, gender, age or disability.
There are 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) which recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth. Tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests underpins these. Planet Mark businesses and Planet Mark itself are contributing to these goals through the measurement and reduction of their carbon emissions.
The envelope of gases surrounding the earth, or any other object in space. The air in Earth's atmosphere is made up of approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Air also has small amounts of other gases too including carbon dioxide.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the concept relating to companies integrating social and environmental concerns into their business operations and interactions with stakeholders. It is understood as the way a company achieves the balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (the triple bottom line approach) while also managing expectations of shareholders and stakeholders.
COP stands for Conference of the Parties and is attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994. The 2021 meeting will be the 26th meeting, therefore COP26. COP26 was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but is set to take place in November 2021 in Glasgow. The summit is being described as the most significant climate event since the 2015 Paris Agreement. World leaders will be reporting on their progress towards the goals set in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Climate change refers to a large-scale and long-term shift in the planet's weather patterns and average temperatures. Since the mid -1800s, humans have contributed to the release of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, resulting in a rise of global temperatures and ultimately long-term changes to the climate.
Any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits. The main ones being soil, forests and oceans. The carbon stored in natural sinks such as forests is released into the atmosphere through forest fires, changes in land use or logging.
Carbon offset schemes allow individuals, groups and companies to invest in international environmental projects that balance out their own carbon footprints.
Carbon neutrality relates to the balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. To achieve Carbon Neutral status, an organisation must work to a carbon reduction plan, measuring and reducing operational carbon (minimum scope 1 and 2) and purchase gold standard offsets equivalent to their total carbon footprint. PAS 2060 is the specification by the British Standards Institution that details how to demonstrate carbon neutrality.
A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organisation, group or community. In order to tackle the climate crisis we all need to play a part in reducing our own carbon footprint at an individual, business and community level.
