We’ve put together this handy jargon buster to help you navigate the myriad of terms that are used when discussing sustainability, decarbonisation and circular economy.
Still have questions? Reach out to us: chris@86-carbon.co.uk
A
Anaerobic Digestion (AD)
A process in which bacteria break down organic matter such as food waste, without oxygen. As the bacteria consume the food waste, they give off biogas, a highly versatile renewable fuel.
More information: Olleco – Anaerobic digestion
Anthropocene era
A geological age, defined by the impact of human activity.
More information: TEDx – Will Steffen – The Anthropocene
B
B Corp
A B Corp is an organisation that has been recognised for meeting “the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose”. As of January 2023, there are over 6,000 companies certified as B Corps in 89 countries around the world.
Read more here: What’s the deal with… B Corp?
Biodegradable
A material which breaks down organically over a period of time, as microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi convert it into naturally-occurring gases and biomass.
Biodiversity
The existence of a wide range of animals and plants in an environment. Globally, around a million animal and plant species are threatened by extinction.
Here are five ways you can help stop biodiversity loss in your area and around the world.
Biofuel
Fuel produced indirectly from living matter, such as plant material and animal waste. Examples include ethanol, biodiesel and biogas.
Biomass
Organic matter, such as timber and crops, that can be converted to fuel and is generally regarded as a renewable fuel source. Biomass is sustainable and generally carbon-neutral because the carbon released in the combustion process is offset by the carbon trapped in the organic matter by photosynthesis during its growth.
We are still not sure about the long term sustainability of biomass. Groups including Friends of the Earth claim it could take many decades for the emissions from burning wood to be neutralised, and the resources needed are highly dependent on proper management of forests. Preparation and transportation of material can add costs and impacts to the overall footprint.
Friends of the Earth: Stop biomass – it adds fuel to the fire
Supporters of biomass say that amongst other pros, energy is generated from organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned or left as fodder for forest fires. The UK government has said it is “fully behind behind biomass energy to provide more power”
Bioplastics
Biodegradable or compostable materials that come from renewable sources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch or microbiota. Production tends to require less fossil fuels and less Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) than the production of fossil-fuel based polymers. Not all bioplastics are biodegradable.
More information: Plastics Industry Association – Bioplastics
BREEAM
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method is the world’s longest established method of assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability of buildings.
More information: BREEAM website
C
Carbon budget
The UK Government has set five-yearly carbon budgets which currently run until 2032. They restrict the amount of greenhouse gases the UK can legally emit in a five year period. The Sixth Carbon Budget report was published in 2020 and recommends the UK needs to cut emissions by 78% below 1990 levels over the next 15 years.
The UK is currently off course to meet it’s 4th, 5th and 6th carbon budget.
More information: Carbon brief summary of key points of the Climate Change Committee’s sixth carbon budget
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
A technology that captures carbon dioxide from industrial facilities and buries it to avoid emissions entering the atmosphere.
Carbon credits
A tradable certificate or permit representing the right of a company to emit one tonne of CO2 (or an amount of another greenhouse gas equivalent to 1 tonne CO2).
Carbon credits may be purchased from a governmental body, with the quantity available decreasing over time which will make polluting more expensive. Voluntary carbon markets exist allowing organisations to purchase verifiable carbon credits that fund offsetting projects.
Carbon footprint
The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere per product/service/individual/company or nation. The standard unit of measurement is carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e)
If it has been possible to reduce the carbon footprint of the activity to zero, then we say it is carbon neutral. Some companies will offset their carbon emissions with voluntary carbon credits in order to call their operation ‘carbon neutral’.
Something is ‘carbon negative’ if the reduction of a carbon footprint to less than neutral, so that the activity, product, company or otherwise has a net effect of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rather than adding it.
Carbon price
An instrument to capture the external costs of greenhouse gas emissions – the costs of emissions that the public pays for, such as damage to crops, health care costs from heat waves and droughts, and loss of property from flooding and sea level rise.
Carbon pricing may take the form of an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which allows energy intensive industries such as the power generation sector and aviation companies to buy and trade allowances for emissions. There are fines for overstepping limits, and money can be invested into the development of low-carbon technologies.
Organisations can also set an internal carbon price, to quantify the environmental impact of purchasing decisions with a monetary value. There is an absence of guidance on how much a tonne of carbon ‘should’ cost, and estimates put it way off the price that is actually being paid in some countries.
A 2019 report set the price of carbon at £50 per tonne of CO2 in 2020, reaching £75 in 2030 and £160 in 2050.
Circular economy
An economy that is restorative and regenerative by design, and which aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles.
More information: Ellen Macarthur Foundation – What is a circular economy?
Climate change
A shift in global weather patterns or average temperatures. Evidence shows that the rate of temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution is extremely high. Rising temperatures can lead to extreme weather such as droughts, sea level rises and retreating glaciers.
See an interactive graph of global temperature.
Closed loop (recycling)
The process by which waste is recycled and reused to make something new. Resources do a full circle without having a negative impact on the environment. Glass bottles are an example of a product which can exist in a closed loop.
Compostable
Compostable materials are materials that have been certified to break down completely into non-toxic components that will not harm the environment, given the right conditions.
More information: Teapigs – biodegradable vs compostable
COP (Conference Of the Parties)
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCC) supreme decision making body. It meets each year in a global session where decisions are made to meet goals for combating climate change.
COP28 will take place November 2023 in Dubai, and it is hoped that Food Systems will be on the agenda (Devex – What will be on the COP28 agenda?)
Community Energy
Schemes to collaborate to reduce, purchase, manage or generate energy. Over the past 5 years, 5,000 groups are estimated to have been involved in such projects, which commonly involve renewable generation.
More information: Community Energy England – Designing and planning a community energy project
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
CSR is a broad movement which includes a variety of issues including corporate governance, human rights, responsible sourcing and environmental footprints.
D
DEFRA
UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Deposit Return Scheme
A recycling scheme whereby customers pay a deposit for plastic and glass containers, which can be refunded next time they shop. In Germany, over 98% of containers are returned to supermarkets (source).
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will go live on 16 August 2023. More information is available from Zero Waste Scotland.
E
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
A mode of transport powered by electricity. Unlike conventional vehicles that use a gasoline or diesel powered engine, electric cars and trucks use an electric motor powered by a battery or fuel cell. They have zero exhaust emissions. Production of new diesel and petrol cars is set to be banned by 2040 (source).
Using a bike instead of a car for short trips, where you can, would reduce travel emissions by around 75%. Cycling 1km produces in the range of 16-50g CO2e.
Energy from Waste (EfW)
An energy recovery process that generates power in the form of electricity, heat or transport fuels from the controlled incineration of residual waste. It is estimated that the total power exported by EfW in the UK in 2020 was around 2.9% of total UK generation.
More information: Tolvik – UK Energy from Waste Statistics – 2021
Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
A policy requiring all companies with more than 250 employees or a turnover of more than €50m to produce detailed reports on their energy use and efficiency every four years.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
EPCs tell us how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from ‘A’ (very efficient) to ‘G’ (inefficient). They’ll give advice on how much it will cost to heat and light the property, and what carbon emissions are likely to be.
More information: Energy Saving Trust – Guide to Energy Performance Certificates
ESG
Stands for Environment, Society and Governance – three pillars of non-financial business practices.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
A strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with goods and/or packaging throughout their life cycles into the market price of the products.
More information: BEIS – How UK organisations can prepare for EPR for packaging
F
Feed-in-tariffs
If a householder, community of business has a renewable energy installation, Feed-in-tariffs pay them a subsidy for the electricity they generate.
G
Global warming
A gradual increase in the world’s average temperature that is causing more extreme weather events, droughts, rising sea temperatures and shrinking ice caps.
See an interactive graph of global temperature.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
An atmospheric gas that absorbs and captures heat, and causes global warming.
The most significant compounds are water vapour (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O). Water vapour is removed from the atmosphere in a few days, but other gasses can take many years to leave.
CO2 accounts for around three quarters of the gases present in the atmosphere, although methane is around 21 times more potent.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol
Greenhouse Gas Protocol provides standards, guidance, tools and training for business and government to measure and manage climate-warming emissions. Amongst their tools is a framework for calculating product and corporate carbon footprints.
Greenwashing
“behaviour or activities that make people believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.”
Cambridge dictionary definition of “Greenwashing”
In light of what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) called a ‘bewildering array’ of environmental claims, new guidance is expected to tighten up claims made by companies around their environmental impact.
Read more: Footprint – Flushing out the foodservice greenwashers
Ethical Consumer provide comprehensive ratings of brands and products, and slow journalism outlet Tortoise publish an annual report on the FTSE 100’s key ESG objectives and progress.
H
Heat pump
A heat pump is a highly efficient method to heat a home or premises. It captures heat from outside and moves it inside using electricity. As a heat pump captures heat that is already present in the environment, the system itself does not burn any fuel and therefore emits no carbon dioxide
An air source heat pump absorbs heat from the air, even in the cold of winter. Ground source heat pumps use pipes to extract heat from the ground, warming a mixture of water and antifreeze called ‘brine’ that can be pumped around a building to heat it up. Ground source heat pumps are the more efficient option, but require more work to install, compared with air source heat pumps.
More information: Energy Saving Trust – In-depth guide to heat pumps
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)
HFCs are produced synthetically and are used primarily as refrigerants. They are highly potent greenhouse gases that can be hundred to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide.
I
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
More information: International Panel on Climate Change website
L
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. It champions human health and wellbeing as well as efficient building and environmental impact.
More information: US Green Building Council
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
A compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental and/or social impacts of a product or service system throughout its life cycle.
M
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)
From April 2023, private, non-domestic landlords must ensure the property they rent in England and Wales has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of at least ‘E’ before granting a tenancy.
N
Natural Capital
Natural capital puts a monetary value on the elements of the natural environment that provide valuable goods and functions such as clean air, clean water, food and recreation.
In the UK, in 2020, the assets of the natural capital services valued were estimated to be worth £1.8 trillion (ONS).
Net Zero Carbon Target
A net zero target is different from a zero carbon target in that the latter requires zero emissions, whereas a net zero target refers to balancing the the amount of emitted greenhouse gases with the equivalent emissions that are either offset or sequestered.
O
Offsetting
A mechanism for claiming a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a process or product through the removal of, or preventing the release of, GHG emissions in a process unrelated to the life cycle of the product being assessed.
Carbon offsetting has it’s critics and supporters, read more here: What’s the deal with… carbon offsetting?
On Package Recycling Labels (OPRL)
A set of simple, recognisable symbols and logos that can be used on packaging to help consumers recycle and refill better, and more often.
More information: Zero Waste Scotland – Recycling packaging symbols explained
P
Paris Agreement
A landmark global climate change deal signed at COP21 in Paris in 2015. The deal locks-in the need to keep the increase in global average temperature to “well below 2C” above pre-industrial levels, and “pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C”. However, projections based on the pledges and targets set by nations means we are off track to achieve these goals.
The graph below shows projections for carbon emissions based on pledges and targets, which will only keep temperature rise below 1.9-2.1C, and the result of ‘current policies’ which could see temperature rise as much as 2.9C.
Video: Sky News – What happens if the world warms up by 2C
More information: Climate Action Tracker – State of Climate Action 2022
Passivhaus
Voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building’s ecological footprint.
For more information, read about Goodlot Brewery in Canada who designed their new brewery to meet Passivhaus standards.
Power purchase agreement (PPA)
A contract between an energy generator and energy buyer that can provide a fixed price for energy generated over the duration of the contract, removing exposure to energy price volatility and allowing for accurate and predictable cost planning.
R
Regenerative agriculture
A catch-all term for farming that focusses on regeneration of soils and ecosystems.
More information: Ellen Macarthur Foundation – Regenerative Agriculture, or read James Rebanks’ brilliant English Pastoral.
Renewable Energy
An energy source derived from natural resources which will not deplete when used.
This live tracker shows the renewable energy makeup of the UK’s energy mix.
S
Science Based Targets
A set of goals developed by a business to provide a clear route to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the scale of reductions required to keep global warming below 2C from pre-industrial levels.
More information: Science Based Targets Initiative
Scope Emissions
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol defines three categories or ‘scopes’ of emissions. Scope 1 and 2 cover direct emissions (e.g. burning of fossil fuels for company vehicles and purchased electricity), and scope 3 emissions cover all indirect emissions resulting from the activities of an organisation (e.g. supply chain, employee commuting and business travel)
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)
Under SECR, all large businesses will be required to publicly report energy use, carbon emissions and energy efficiency actions.
More information: Carbon Trust – SECR explained
Single-use plastics
‘Single-use’ can refer to any item which is designed to be used once by the consumer before it is thrown away or recycled. Items include disposable cutlery, plastic straws, carrier bags and crisp packets.
Proposed UK legislation will see the banning of single use cutlery.
Sustainable development
“Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Brundtland Report, 1987
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development, including pledges to protect the planet, improve the lives of humans and take action on climate change.
T
Triple Bottom Line
First introduced in 1994 by John Elkington, this concept seeks to measure not only the economic value of a company, but also it’s degree of social responsibility and it’s environmental impact.
U
ULEV
An Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle is a car or van that emits less than 75g/km CO2e, and is currently eligible for zero road tax.
W
WRAP
The Waste and Resource Action Programme is a partnership of businesses, individual and communities building circular economies. They publish best practice reports and key insights into the progress of sustainable development.
More information: WRAP website
Z
Zero Waste
A philosophy that encourages the re‑design of resource life cycles so that all materials and products are reused or recycled.
SILO in London is a restaurant designed with Zero waste principles. Read more here.
All sources have been credited with links to original articles. The edie jargon buster played no small part in the curation of this resource.