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Climate A to Z: A Glossary of Key Terms

With the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events, it is more important than ever to understand the terminology and concepts associated with climate change. From mitigation to adaptation, the vocabulary surrounding climate change can be overwhelming. In this alphabetically organized glossary, we will explore a comprehensive list of terms related to climate change, providing a helpful resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of this critical global challenge.

  • Adaptation: The process of adjusting to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changes in precipitation patterns.

  • Anthropogenic: Referring to human activity as the cause or contributor to a particular environmental problem, such as climate change.

  • Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth, including the diversity of species, ecosystems, and genetic variation within species.

  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS): The process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes, power plants, or other sources, and storing them underground or in other long-term storage facilities.

  • Carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, organization, or product, measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalent.

  • Carbon neutral: Referring to a state in which there is no net carbon dioxide emissions, achieved through a combination of reducing emissions and offsetting remaining emissions through activities such as reforestation or renewable energy projects.

  • Carbon offset: A mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that either reduce emissions or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as reforestation or renewable energy projects.

  • Clean energy: Energy generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro, or geothermal power, which emit little or no greenhouse gases.

  • Climate action: Actions taken to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing resilience to climate impacts, and promoting sustainable development.

  • Climate finance: Financial investments, mechanisms, and instruments aimed at supporting climate action and addressing the challenges of climate change.

  • Climate mitigation: The process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimize the extent and impact of climate change.

  • Climate resilience: The ability of a system or community to adapt and recover from the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, sea level rise, and changes in precipitation patterns.

  • Climate science: The study of the Earth's climate system, including the causes and impacts of climate change, and the development of models to predict future climate conditions.

  • Climate tipping point: A threshold beyond which a system or process undergoes rapid and potentially irreversible change in response to climate change, such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet or the collapse of coral reefs.

  • Decarbonization: The process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from the energy system and other sectors of the economy, including transportation, industry, and agriculture.

  • Emissions reduction: The process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through various means, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon capture and storage.

  • Energy efficiency: The use of technology and best practices to reduce energy consumption while maintaining or improving the same level of service or productivity.

  • Fossil fuels: Non-renewable energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which emit greenhouse gases when burned for energy.

  • Geoengineering: Large-scale engineering interventions aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change, such as carbon dioxide removal or solar radiation management.

  • Greenhouse effect: The natural process by which certain gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to the warming of the planet.

  • Greenhouse gas (GHG): Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): A scientific body established by the United Nations to assess the scientific, technical, and socio-economic aspects of climate change.

  • Kyoto Protocol: An international treaty adopted in 1997 that sets binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Net-zero emissions: A state in which the balance of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere is offset by the removal of an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, achieved through a combination of reducing emissions and carbon removal.

  • Ocean acidification: The process by which the ocean's pH level decreases due to the absorption of carbon dioxide, which can have harmful impacts on marine life and ecosystems.

  • Paris Agreement: An international treaty adopted in 2015 aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.

  • Renewable energy: Energy generated from sources that are replenished naturally and relatively quickly, such as solar, wind, hydro, or geothermal power.

  • Resilience: The ability of a system or community to withstand and recover from the impacts of climate change or other shocks and stresses, such as natural disasters or economic downturns.

  • Sea level rise: The increase in the average level of the ocean's surface, caused by the melting of ice sheets and glaciers and the thermal expansion of seawater due to rising temperatures.

  • Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations.

  • Sustainable energy: Energy that is produced and used in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations.

  • Terrestrial carbon sink: A natural or managed ecosystem, such as forests or agricultural land, that absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits.

  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): An international treaty adopted in 1992 that provides a framework for international cooperation on climate change, with the ultimate objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

  • Vulnerability: The degree to which a system or community is susceptible to harm or negative impacts from climate change or other stresses and shocks, including social and economic factors.

  • Weather extremes: Unusual and severe weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, floods, and storms, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

  • Youth activism: The involvement of young people in advocating for climate action and holding governments and corporations accountable for their impact on the environment and future generations.

  • Zero-carbon: A state in which no net carbon dioxide emissions are produced, achieved through a combination of reducing emissions and carbon removal, as well as switching to low-carbon or carbon-free technologies and energy sources.

  • 2°C target: The target of limiting global warming to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, as set out in the Paris Agreement, which is considered to be the threshold beyond which the most dangerous impacts of climate change would be triggered.

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