Sustainability Terms You'll see in TRACE

 

Carbon Accounting

Baseline year:

A reference point in time against which emission reductions in the future are measured. Baseline emissions refer to the production of greenhouse gases that have occurred in the past and which are being produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. The baseline measurement is determined over a set period of time, typically one year.

Carbon Budget: 

An estimate of the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that can be released into the atmosphere over time while still keeping global warming limited to a specified level.

Carbon Credits:

A carbon credit is a permit that allows the owner to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. One credit permits the emission of one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) or the equivalent of other greenhouse gases (CO2e). The carbon credit is half of a so-called "cap-and-trade" program.

Carbon Footprint:
Total carbon emissions generated by a company, individual or action. You can calculate your organisation’s overall carbon footprint and those of individual events using TRACE.

Carbon Negative:
Carbon negative means, in effect, that you emit less than zero CO2/CO2e. However, since it is impossible to emit a negative amount of carbon, being carbon-negative refers to the net emissions you create. To be carbon negative means to offset more carbon, through carbon capture, sequestration, or avoidance, than you contribute to the environment.

Carbon Neutral:
Carbon neutral means that any CO2 released into the atmosphere from a company's activities is balanced by an equivalent amount being removed. Terms such as “climate neutral” or “climate positive” that rely on offsetting will be banned from the EU by 2026. 

Carbon Offsetting:
The act of compensating for CO2e arising from our activity by participating in schemes designed to make an equivalent reduction of CO2e from the atmosphere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e).

Carbon Sequestration:
The process of storing carbon in a carbon sink. CO2 is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes.

CO2e:
‘Carbon dioxide equivalent’ or CO2e is a term for describing different greenhouse gases in a common unit. For any quantity and type of greenhouse gas, CO2e signifies the amount of CO2 that would have an equivalent impact on global warming. A quantity of GHG can be expressed as CO2e by multiplying the amount of the GHG by its global warming potential (GWP). For example, if 1kg of methane is emitted, it can be expressed as 25kg of CO2e (1kg CH4 * 25 = 25kg CO2e).

Net Zero:
Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of your organisation’s entire value chain to as close to zero as possible whilst offsetting any remaining unavoidable emissions. To achieve Net Zero, most companies will need to reduce 90% of their emissions by 2050, with an interim reduction target of 50% by 2030. These science-based targets are designed to limit global warming to within 1.5°C. It is not possible to achieve Net Zero without assessing and reducing Scope 3 emissions - the majority of your organisation’s impact.

Zero Carbon:
Causing or resulting in no net release of CO2 into the atmosphere.

 

Climate Science and Technical Terms

Aerosols:

Fine liquid droplets or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere, such as dust, soot, or steam. They remain in the troposphere anywhere between one day and two weeks and in the stratosphere for about a year. Aerosols reflect solar radiation, thereby slowing the increase in the atmosphere’s temperature, which would be much higher without them.

Anthropogenic:

Scientists use the word anthropogenic to refer to environmental change caused or influenced by people, either directly or indirectly.

Anthropocene:

The Anthropocene Epoch is an unofficial unit of geologic time describing the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to significantly impact the planet’s climate and ecosystems.

Biodegradable Plastic:

Petroleum-based plastics with a chemical additive that makes them break down more quickly than regular plastics. They cannot be recycled and, in order to break down, must be industrially composted in a suitable machine - typically taking at least two months. This is not something the UK can easily accommodate, and so should not be recommended.

Bioplastic (Durable):
Durable bioplastics are made from 70% petroleum and 30% plant-based ethanol.

They do not decompose, and they can be recycled with regular PET containers.

Bioplastic (PLA):
Organic plastics derived from biomass such as corn starch or wheat. Similarly to biodegradable plastics, they cannot be recycled and must be industrially composted.

Biofuels:
Any fuel that is derived from biomass, i.e. plant/algae material or animal waste. As these feedstock materials are replenishable, biofuels are considered to be a source of renewable energy. Examples include bioethanol (often made from corn or sugarcane), biodiesel (sourced from vegetable oils and liquid animal fats), green diesel (derived from algae and other plant sources), and biogas (methane derived from animal manure and other digested organic material).

Biodiversity:

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area, i.e., the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms works together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. These three levels work together to create the complexity of life on Earth.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS):
A combination of technologies designed to prevent the release of CO2 generated through conventional power generation and industrial production processes by injecting the CO2 into suitable underground storage reservoirs.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2):
A water-soluble gas that occurs naturally in the air. Trees and plants convert CO₂ into energy and oxygen. Humans also cause CO₂ emissions, such as by burning petroleum, coal, and natural gas. In the atmosphere, the gas obstructs the radiation emitted by the Earth from escaping into space.

Carbon Sink:

A carbon sink is any reservoir, natural or otherwise, that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Globally, the two most important carbon sinks are vegetation and the ocean.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, solvents, and refrigerants. CFCs were found to destroy the earth's protective ozone layer, which shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays generated from the sun. They also warm the lower atmosphere of the earth, changing global climate.

Climate Change:
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. However, since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change. Primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, humans have contributed to a sharp increase in global warming, resulting in regional and seasonal temperature extremes, reducing snow cover and sea ice, intensifying heavy rainfall and wildfires, and changing habitat ranges for plants and animals - expanding some and shrinking others. 

Co-Benefits:

At its core, a co-benefits approach is a win-win strategy aimed at capturing both development and climate benefits in a single policy or measure. Development co-benefits refer to the local benefits of climate change policies. These benefits can range from improved air quality to cleaner technologies to better jobs. Climate co-benefits refer to the global climate change benefits of development plans or sectoral policies and measures.

Ecosystem:

An ecosystem is a complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space. It can be categorised into its abiotic constituents, including minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other non-living elements, and its biotic constituents, consisting of all its living members. Linking these constituents together are two major forces: the flow of energy through the ecosystem and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem.

Emissions:

​​Emissions are one of the driving forces behind global warming. They are particles, substances, or radiation released into the atmosphere. Emissions can occur naturally, such as soot from volcanic eruptions or CO₂ from forest fires. There are also anthropogenic emissions caused by human activity. These include particulate matter, CO₂ and fluorinated gases from traffic, heat and power generation, and methane from livestock farming.

Energy-efficiency:

Energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same job—cutting energy bills and reducing pollution. Many products, homes, and buildings use more energy than they actually need through inefficiencies and energy waste.

Fossil Fuel

Any of a class of hydrocarbon-containing materials of biological origin occurring within Earth’s crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, bitumens, tar sands, and heavy oils. All contain carbon and were formed as a result of geologic processes acting on the remains of organic matter produced by photosynthesis. All fossil fuels can be combusted in air or with oxygen derived from air to provide heat. One of the main by-products of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide (CO2). The ever-increasing use of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, and construction has added large amounts of CO2 to Earth’s atmosphere - a major contributing factor to human-induced global warming.

Fugitive emissions:

Leaks and other irregular releases of gases or vapours from a pressurised containment, e.g. pipelines, storage tanks, wells, appliances, or other pieces of industrial equipment. Fugitive emissions contribute to local air pollution and may cause further environmental harm. Most occurrences of fugitive emissions are small, of no immediate impact, and difficult to detect. Nevertheless, due to rapidly expanding activity, even the most strictly regulated gases have accumulated outside of industrial workings to reach measurable levels globally.

Global Average Temperature:

To calculate a global average temperature, scientists begin with temperature measurements taken at locations around the globe. Given the tremendous size and heat capacity of the global oceans, it takes a massive amount of heat energy to raise Earth’s average yearly surface temperature even a small amount. The roughly 1℃ increase in global average surface temperature that has occurred since the pre-industrial era (1880-1900) might seem small, but it means a significant increase in accumulated heat.

Global Warming:

The excessive burning of fossil fuels has artificially intensified the natural greenhouse effect, resulting in an increase in global warming that is altering the planet’s climate systems in countless ways. Between 1880 and 1980, the global average temperature rose on average by 0.07℃ every 10 years. Since 1981, however, the rate of increase has more than doubled. For the last 40 years, we’ve seen the global annual temperature rise by 0.18℃ per decade. Nine of the 10 warmest years since 1880 have occurred since 2005, and the five warmest years on record have all occurred since 2015.

Greenhouse Effect:

The natural warming of the earth results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space. While 30% of the solar energy that reaches our world is reflected back to space, approximately 70% passes through the atmosphere to the earth’s surface, where it is absorbed by the land, oceans, and atmosphere and heats the planet. This heat is then radiated back up in the form of invisible infrared light. While some of this infrared light continues on into space, around 90% gets absorbed by atmospheric gases, known as greenhouse gases, and redirected back toward the earth, causing further warming. The greenhouse effect warms the planet to its comfortable average of 15℃, maintaining ideal conditions for life on Earth. Without it, the world would be a frozen, uninhabitable place.

Greenhouse Gas:
Greenhouse gases absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the Earth’s atmospheric greenhouse effect. E.g. Water vapour (H2O), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N 2O), Ozone (O3), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Greenwashing:
The creation or propagation of an unfounded or misleading environmentalist image.

GWP:
‘Global warming potential’ or GWP is the heat absorbed by any greenhouse gas in the atmosphere as a multiple of the heat that would be absorbed by the same mass of carbon dioxide. GWP is 1 for CO₂. For other gases, it depends on the gas and the time frame. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is calculated from GWP.

Holocene:
The Holocene Epoch is a unit of geologic time beginning approximately 11,650 years ago, after the last ice age. It corresponds with the rapid proliferation, growth and impacts of the human species worldwide, including all of its written history, technological revolutions, development of major civilizations, and overall significant transition towards urban living in the present. 

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a group of industrial chemicals primarily used for cooling and refrigeration. HFCs were developed primarily to replace stratospheric ozone-depleting CFCs, which have largely been phased out under the Montreal Protocol.

Landfill:

Disposing of waste by putting it into a pile and covering it with dirt and other materials. Landfilling effectively mummifies the material, as very little decomposition can occur due to the lack of air circulation and sunlight. This process does not recover any material, except in very few exceptions where landfills may syphon off methane gas for energy use.

Landfill to incineration:

Incineration (or Waste-to-Energy/W2E) is the process by which waste materials are burned or gasified.  Depending on the product, this process may or may not generate fuel or energy.  The original product is destroyed during this process as the high temperatures break down material at the molecular level.

Methane (CH4):

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is found in small quantities in the atmosphere. Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Methane is approximately 25 times more harmful to the climate than CO₂. While its average lifetime in the atmosphere is much shorter at around 12.4 years, methane has a very powerful warming effect over a short period of time. More than 63 per cent of methane emissions are produced in agriculture, during soil cultivation and fertilisation, or by livestock farming. In the atmosphere, CH₄ is eventually converted into carbon dioxide through various reactions.

Microplastics:

Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in length. They are of great environmental concern because of their widespread presence in the oceans and the potential physical and toxicological risks they pose to organisms. Microplastics can be ingested by a wide range of animals and have been found in organisms ranging in size from small invertebrates to large mammals.

Ozone Layer:

The ozone layer is a region of Earth's stratosphere. It absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the Sun's medium-frequency ultraviolet light, which would otherwise potentially damage exposed life forms near the surface. It contains a high concentration of ozone gas (O3) compared to other parts of the atmosphere, although still small compared to other gases in the stratosphere. In 1976, atmospheric research revealed that the ozone layer was being depleted by chemicals released by industry, mainly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Nitrogen oxides (NOx):
Usually used to refer to two gases, Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a colourless, odourless gas and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), which is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent odour. Nitric Oxide reacts with oxygen (O2) or ozone (O3) in the air to form nitrogen dioxide. Inhalation of the pure gases is rapidly fatal. Other oxides of nitrogen include NO3 (Nitrogen Trioxide) and N2O (Nitrous Oxide) - a potent greenhouse gas that also causes damage to the ozone layer.

Nitrogen Cycle:
Atmospheric nitrogen (78% of the Earth’s atmosphere) has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems. The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among the atmosphere and terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, the use of artificial nitrogen fertilisers, and the release of nitrogen in wastewater have dramatically altered the global nitrogen cycle. Human modification of the global nitrogen cycle can negatively affect the natural environment system and also human health.

Phosphorus Cycle:

Living organisms require phosphorus, a vital component of DNA, for their proper functioning. The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Humans have caused major changes to the global phosphorus cycle through the shipping of phosphorus minerals, the use of phosphorus fertiliser, and also the shipping of food from farms to cities, where it is lost as effluent.

Planetary Boundaries:
The planetary boundary (PB) concept, introduced in 2009, aimed to define the environmental limits within which humanity can safely operate. This approach has proved influential in global sustainability policy development. The nine planetary boundaries are Stratospheric ozone depletion, Biodiversity loss and extinctions, Chemical pollution, Climate Change, Ocean acidification, Freshwater consumption and the global hydrological cycle; Land system change, Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; Atmospheric aerosol loading.

Recycling:

Recycling is the process of recovering material from waste and turning it into new products. In this process, the original product is destroyed, usually through a melting process.

Regenerative Agriculture:
A conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. Regenerative agriculture is not a specific practice itself. Rather, proponents of regenerative agriculture use a variety of combined sustainable agriculture techniques.

Reforestation:

Reforestation is the process of replanting trees in areas affected by natural disturbances like wildfires, drought, and insect and disease infestations, as well as unnatural ones such as logging, mining, agricultural clearing, and development.

Renewable Energy:
Energy is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

Root-to-stem:

Minimise fruit and vegetable waste and maximise nutrition by utilising parts you might traditionally throw out or compost, such as carrot tops, broccoli stalks, potato peels, herb stems, citrus zest, seeds, leaves, and everything in between.

Scope 1 Emissions:
Direct emissions - i.e. the actual burning of fossil fuels in facilities or assets you own or control.

Scope 2 Emissions:

Indirect emissions -  i.e. purchased electricity, steam, heat or cooling in facilities or assets you own or control.

Scope 3 Emissions

- Indirect emissions from vehicles are used as a result of your organisation's activities but are not owned or controlled by your company. Including supplier transport, shipping/deliveries, crew travel, delegate travel, your staff journeys via personal vehicles, and your staff journeys via public transport (buses, trains, planes).

- Energy consumption emissions are used as a result of your organisation's activities but occur in facilities not owned or controlled by your company. This includes energy used in external permanent venues, temporary venues/structures, hotels/accommodation, and your staff working from home.

- Indirect production emissions from all supplier materials and catering ingredients which are used as a result of your organisation's activities.

- Indirect processing emissions from all waste, including incineration, landfilling and recycling.

 

Circular Economy

Closed Loop 

Closed-loop recycling is the process by which a product or material can be used and then turned into a new product indefinitely without losing its properties during the recycling process.

Circular Economy:
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended. In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value.

 

Sustainability Concepts, Initiatives, Standards and Frameworks

Adaptation:

Climate change adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate change while taking advantage of potential new opportunities. It involves adjusting policies and actions because of observed or expected changes in climate. The goal is to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change (like sea-level encroachment, more intense extreme weather events or food insecurity).

B-Corporation:
B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In order to achieve certification, a company must demonstrate high social and environmental performance, make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, and exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.

BEP:
An ‘Environmental Breakeven Point’ is the level of use at which an alternative product, material or service will result in an equal environmental impact to the original product, material or service. For example, a reusable polypropylene (PP) cup or bottle will achieve a BEP equivalent to their single-use plastic equivalents at approximately five or six reuses. Each subsequent reuse of an item beyond this BEP will result in a continually lower environmental impact vs. the single use.

CDP:

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is an international non-profit organisation based in the United Kingdom, Japan, India, China, Germany and the United States of America that helps companies and cities disclose their environmental impact.

COP:
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC. It meets annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change. COP26 took place in Glasgow in November 2021.

Doughnut Economics: 

The Doughnut, or Doughnut Economics, is a visual framework for sustainable development combining the concept of planetary boundaries with the complementary concept of social boundaries. The framework was proposed to regard the performance of an economy by the extent to which the needs of people are met (Food security; Health; Education, Income and work; Peace and justice; Political voice; Social equity; Gender equality; Housing; Networks; Energy; Water) without overshooting Earth's ecological ceiling. Within planetary limits and an equitable social foundation lies a doughnut-shaped area, which is the area where there is a "safe and just space for humanity to thrive in".

GHG Protocol:
GHG Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardised frameworks to measure and manage GHG  emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains, and mitigation actions. It supplies the world's most widely used GHG accounting standards. The Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard provides the accounting platform for virtually every corporate GHG reporting program in the world.

IPCC:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations responsible for advancing knowledge on human-induced climate change.

Kyoto Protocol:

The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and running from 2005 to 2020, was the first implementation of measures under the UNFCCC. It was superseded by the Paris Agreement.

Linear economic model:

A linear economy traditionally follows the ‘take-make-dispose’ paradigm. This means that raw natural materials are extracted, then transformed into products that are used until they are finally discarded as waste. Value is created in this economic system by producing and selling as many products as possible. As Earth’s natural resources are finite, this model is unsustainable by its very nature.

Lock-in: 

Technological lock-in is the idea that the more a society adopts a certain technology, the more unlikely users are to switch - reinforcing a certain pathway of economic, technological, industrial and institutional development. With large initial infrastructural investments required to facilitate a switch to a new technology, such mechanisms can lock in increases of GHGs well into the future through persistent market and policy failures, which prevent the diffusion of carbon-saving alternatives, even if they have very apparent environmental and often economic benefits. An example would be fossil fuel combustion engines vs. electric vehicles.

Nose-to-tail:
An approach to animal ingredients that minimises waste is to use as much of the animal as possible, including secondary cuts, organs, skin, fat, and bones for broth.

Paris Agreement:
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century.

Race to Zero:

Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.

SBTi:

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling organisations to set science-based emissions reduction targets. The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Sustainable Development:
The concept of sustainable development was described by the United Nation’s 1987 Bruntland Commission Report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Triple Bottom Line:

A business concept that posits firms should commit to measuring their social and environmental impact - in addition to their financial performance - rather than solely focusing on generating profit or the standard ‘bottom line’. It can be broken down into ‘three Ps’: people, planet, and profit.

UNFCCC:
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established an international environmental treaty to combat dangerous human interference with the climate system, in part by stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. It was signed by 154 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. The treaty called for ongoing scientific research and regular meetings, negotiations, and future policy agreements designed to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner. By 2020 the UNFCCC had 197 states parties.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs):
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.

Upcycling:
Upcycling means using a certain material again, but in a manner different from what it was originally intended for. The original product is left mostly intact, using its shape, form, and material for a different purpose.

Zero Waste:
The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.