Explainer: Carbon terms made easy

Adaptation. Change in response to the current or future impacts of climate change (eg improving flood protection)

Afforestation. The process of establishing trees and tree seedlings on land not previously forested

Baseline. Scenario for what carbon emissions would have been in the absence of planned measures aiming to reduce emissions

Biodiversity. The variety of plant and animal life in an area and how they interact within habitats and ecosystems

Biofuels. Fuels, usually in liquid form, made from plants or agricultural or biological waste (eg bioethanol from maize and sugarcane)

Capital carbon. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the creation, refurbishment and end-of-life treatment of an asset

Carbon capture and storage (CCS). The process of capturing CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion or industrial processes, and transporting it to a site for storage to prevent it from entering the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide (CO₂). A powerful greenhouse gas that is present in the atmosphere. Human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation have led to an increase in CO₂, which contributes to climate change

Carbon footprint. Carbon emissions linked to an activity or product, including emissions involved in making and using a product or carrying out an activity

Carbon management. Assessment, removal or reduction of greenhouse gas emissions during the delivery of new, or the management of existing, infrastructure assets or programmes

Carbon neutral. Making or resulting in no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, especially as a result of carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting. Reduction or removal of greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for CO₂ emissions created elsewhere

Carbon sequestration. Removal and long-term storage of CO₂ from the earth’s atmosphere. It can be achieved biologically (eg forests and oceans – see ‘Carbon sink’), or geologically

Carbon sink. A natural or artificial reservoir that soaks up and stores greenhouse gases (eg plants, peat bogs and oceans)

Circular economy. An economy based on reducing and re-using products and materials so less waste is produced (e.g. refurbishment, design for adaptability or deconstruction)

Climate. The average weather conditions in a region over the long term

Climate change. A change in long-term weather patterns caused by natural forces, human activity, or both

Climate positive. An activity that goes beyond net zero by removing additional CO₂ from the atmosphere

Decarbonisation. Stopping or reducing carbon gases, especially carbon dioxide, being released into the atmosphere (eg by using renewable energy instead of burning fossil fuels)

Design for adaptability. Designing to support the continued use of an asset by allowing for and accommodating potential future adaptations, thus avoiding building obsolescence

Design for deconstruction (DfD). Design decisions that increase the quality and quantity of materials that can be re-used at the end of a building’s life. Also known as design for disassembly

Embodied carbon. The greenhouse gases emitted during the production and delivery of a product or asset

Environmental, social and governance (ESG). An approach to evaluating a business's impact on society and the environment, and how transparent and accountable it is

Fossil fuel. Hydrocarbon-containing material that has formed naturally in the ground over many thousands or millions of years from dead plants or animals and that is extracted and burned as fuel (coal, gas, peat or oil)

Global warming. The long-term heating of the earth’s surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) that has been caused by human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning

Greenhouse gases. Gases that trap heat from the earth’s surface causing warming in the lower atmosphere. The major greenhouse gases that cause climate change are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). UN body that works with governments and nations to assess the science of climate change

Lifecycle assessment (LCA). Method of quantifying carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of assets or products over their whole lifecycle

Methane (CH₄). A powerful greenhouse gas that comes from various sources, including agriculture, fossil fuels and waste

Mitigation. Methods to prevent climate change from getting worse, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing the absorption of emissions back into nature

Net zero. A balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activity and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere

Net-zero carbon asset. An asset whose sum total of greenhouse gas emissions, both operational and embodied, over its lifecycle, plus offsets, amounts to zero

Operational carbon. Greenhouse gas emissions arising from an asset once it is in use

Paris Agreement. Legally binding international climate change agreement adopted in December 2015 that sets out a global framework to limit global warming to below 2C and preferably to 1.5C

Recycling. Converting waste into re-usable materials

Recyclability. How easy a product is to separate into its material components and convert into a new item

Recycled content. The proportion of materials in a product that has come from non-virgin sources

Resilience. The ability to cope with the negative impacts of climate change in a way that reduces these impacts on people and the environment

Re-use. To use a product again while largely maintaining its original form

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 goals developed by the UN to address the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world

Tipping point. Critical climate thresholds that, once passed, can lead to irreversible changes

Upfront carbon. The carbon generated by producing, moving or installing materials – everything leading up to the delivery of a project

Whole-life carbon (WLC). Total greenhouse gas emissions and removals, both operational and embodied, over the lifecycle of an asset, including its disposal

Zero carbon. An asset, product or service that produces no carbon emissions