Key Green Terms You Need to Know Explained

Here at Greener Insights we aim to keep things clear and simple. To help with this we maintain the below list explaining key green terms.

Know these and you’re on track to talk climate and sustainability like a pro!

Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal life, globally or in a specified region. 

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

An approach taken during land development, and/or land management, that aims to leave the level of biodiversity in a measurably better state than it was beforehand.

Carbon Offsetting & Credits

Compensating for carbon emissions that arise from human activity, with measures designed to remove the equivalent amount of atmospheric carbon. Offsets can be traded under verified schemes as carbon credits. A carbon credit generally equates to 1 tonne of CO2 removed.

Carbon Net Zero

Achieving a balance between carbon emissions and carbon offsets, ensuring all addressable emission reductions have been completed and offsetting is only used for non-addressable emissions. Learn more here. 

Carbon Neutral

Ensuring there is not a net release of carbon from a defined activity. This classification is often heavily reliant on carbon offsets to achieve a neutral balance.  

Climate Change

The long term shift in global temperature and weather patterns. Such shifts can be both naturally occurring and induced by human activities. Learn more here.

Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Adaptation references improvements in human and natural systems that align their resilience to a predicted level of climate change. For example, a building may need adaptations to ensure it can continue being heat resilient as global temperature increases. 

Climate Positive 

Actions that go beyond achieving a neutral impact from human activities and instead target a net benefit for the climate and environment more generally. 

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Used in reference to the incorporation of social and environmental concerns into business activities. Learn more here.

Eco-Friendly

Activities or products that do not impact upon the environment. 

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)

Criteria for evaluating a company’s impact and sustainability, encouraging responsible action in business practice. Learn more here.

Fossil fuels

Coal, gas and oil fuels. These are all fuels produced through the breakdown of organic carbon based material over millions of years.

Global Warming

The process of increased heat accumulation within the Earth’s atmosphere. This accumulation results for an increased volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2).

Green

A broad term used to reference activities that intend to reduce and prevent harm to the environment. The aim in doing so is to achieve a balance between human activity and the environment. 

Green Economy

Economic activity driven by the aims of sustainable development, reducing harm to the climate and nature, whilst also securing long term economic growth and societal gain.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A combined term for all emissions that can contribute to global warming: primarily carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour and chlorofluorocarbons. These emissions are often represented collectively as CO2 equivalence (CO2e).

Renewable energy

Energy produced from natural sources and replenished at a higher rate than consumed. Forms include solar (sunlight) and wind energy, hydro from water flow and geothermal energy.

Sequestration 

The act of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Natural forms include tree planting and coastal environment restoration. Mechanical forms developed by humans are also available, which are commonly referred to as carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems.

Sustainability 

Meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 

Tipping Points

Refers to the point at which a natural system, altered by human impacts, is no longer able to naturally return to its baseline conditions. Consequently the system will slip into a new permanent state.

These definitions should help make things much clearer for you.

We’ll keep this site as clear as we can, making it simple for you to understand the issues and take action. Things do though keep moving, so we’ll be sure to keep this list up to date as the key green terms you need to know change!