Glossary

Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Various types of adaptation can be distinguished, including anticipatory, autonomous and planned adaptation: Anticipatory adaptation - Adaptation that takes place before impacts of climate change are observed. Also referred to as proactive adaptation. Autonomous adaptation - Adaptation that does not constitute a conscious response to climatic stimuli but istriggered by ecological changes in natural systems and by market or welfare changes in human systems. Also referred to as spontaneous adaptation. Planned adaptation - Adaptation that is the result of a deliberate policy decision, based on an awareness that conditions have changed or are about to change and that action is required to return to, maintain, or achieve a desired state. * = from IPCC.

The gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth. The dry atmosphere consists almost entirely of nitrogen and oxygen, together with trace gases including carbon dioxide and ozone. * = from IPCC.

A collection of air-borne solid or liquid particles, with a typical size between 0.01 and 10 μm, that reside in the atmosphere for at least several hours. Aerosols may be of either natural or anthropogenic origin. Aerosols may influence climate in two ways: directly through scattering and absorbing radiation, and indirectly through acting as condensation nuclei for cloud formation or modifying the optical properties and lifetime of clouds. * = from IPCC.

Direct human-induced conversion of land that has not been forested for a period of at least 50 years to forested land through planting, seeding and/or the human-induced promotion of natural seed sources. See also reforestation and deforestation. For a discussion of the term forest and related terms such as afforestation, reforestation and deforestation, see the IPCC Special Report on Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (IPCC, 2000). * = from IPCC glossary.

The total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume; recently dead plant material is often included as dead biomass. The quantity of biomass is expressed as a dry weight or as the energy, carbon or nitrogen content.

The part of the Earth system comprising all ecosystems and living organisms in the atmosphere, on land (terrestrial biosphere), or in the oceans (marine biosphere), including derived dead organic matter, such as litter, soil organic matter, and oceanic detritus. * = from IPCC.

The total diversity of all organisms and ecosystems at various spatial scales (from genes to entire biomes). * = from IPCC.

A fuel produced from organic matter or combustible oils produced by plants. Examples of biofuel include alcohol, black iquor from the paper-manufacturing process, wood, and soybean oil. * = from IPCC.

The Committee on Climate Change is an independent, expert body to advise the Government on the pathway to the 2050 target and on the level of carbon budgets. It will take into account a range of factors including environmental, technological, economic, fiscal, social and international factors, as well as energy policy, when giving its advice. The Committee is currently operating in 'shadow' form until the Bill receives Royal Assent and has begun work on the review of the 2050 target. It will report by 1 December 2008, at the same time as it is due to advise the Government on the first three five-year carbon budgets (2008-12, 2013-17, 2018-22).

Measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide

A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability over comparable time periods (Source: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Global framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. Conceived by the Global Commons Institute in the early 90's, the C and C strategy consists of reducing overall emissions of greenhouse gases to a safe level, 'Contraction', where the global emissions are reduced because every country brings emissions per capita to a level which is equal for all countries, 'Convergence'. It is intended to form the basis of an international agreement, which will reduce carbon emissions to avoid climate change. It is expressed as a simple mathematical formula. This formula can be used as a way for the world to stabilize carbon levels at any level.

The ability of a company to direct the operating policies of a facility or organisation. Usually, if the company owns more than 50% of the voting interests, this implies control. The holder of the operating licence often exerts control, however, holding the operating licence is not a sufficient criteria for being able to direct the operating policies of a facility or organisation. In practice, the actual exercise of dominant influence itself is enough to satisfy the definition of control without requiring any formal power or ability through which it arises.

The CDM allows greenhouse gas emission reduction projects to take place in countries that have no emission targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Kyoto Protocol, yet are signatories. * = from IPCC.

The universal unit of measurement used to indicate the global warming potential (GWP) of each of the 6 Kyoto greenhouse gases. It is used to evaluate the impacts of releasing (or avoiding the release of) different greenhouse gases.

Climate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the 'average weather', or more rigorously, as the statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of the climate system. The classical period of time is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). * = from IPCC.

CO2 reservoir that is increasing in size. Main natural sinks are (1) the oceans (absorbed about one-third of all human-generated CO2 emissions to date) and (2) plants that use photosynthesis to remove carbon from the atmosphere by incorporating it into biomass and release oxygen into the atmosphere. This concept of CO2 sinks has become more widely known because the Kyoto Protocol allows the use of carbon dioxide sinks as a form of carbon offset.

Emissions that are produced by organisation-owned equipment or emissions from organisation-owned premises, such as carbon dioxide from electricity generators, gas boilers and vehicles, or methane from landfill sites.

Natural or anthropogenic process that converts forest land to non-forest. See afforestation and reforestation. * = from IPCC.

The percentage of economic interest in/benefit derived from an organisation.

Ecological footprint analysis compares human demand on nature with the biosphere's ability to regenerate resources and provide services. Using this assessment, it is possible to estimate how many planet Earths it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle

Requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. Many emission standards focus on regulating pollutants released by cars but they can also regulate emissions from industry, power plants, small equipment such as lawn mowers and diesel generators. The 700 million cars currently on the world's roads produce 2.8 billion tons of CO2 annually. This represents 20% of the world's CO2 emissions.

The current IPCC inventory includes six major greenhouse gases. These are Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the most widely used international standard for understanding, quantifying, and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It is published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute

The process in which the absorption of infrared radiation by the atmosphere warms the Earth. In common parlance, the term 'greenhouse effect' may be used to refer either to the natural greenhouse effect, due to naturally occurring greenhouse gases, or to the enhanced (anthropogenic) greenhouse effect, which results from gases emitted as a result of human activities. * = from IPCC.

The continuous gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect and responsible for changes in global climate patterns (see also Climate Change).

The GWP is an index that compares the relative potential (to CO2) of the 6 greenhouse gases to contribute to global warming i.e. the additional heat/energy which is retained in the Earth's ecosystem through the release of this gas into the atmosphere. The additional heat/energy impact of all other greenhouse gases are compared with the impacts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and referred to in terms of a CO2 equivalent (CO2e) e.g. Carbon dioxide has been designated a GWP of 1, Methane has a GWP of 21.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A special intergovernmental body established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to provide assessments of the results of climate change research to policy makers. The Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines are being developed under the auspices of the IPCC and will be recommended for use by parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the reporting company but occur from sources owned or controlled by another organisation or individual. They include all outsourced power generation (e.g. electricity, hot water), outsourced services (e.g. waste disposal, business travel, transport of company-owned goods) and outsourced manufacturing processes. Indirect emissions also cover the activities of franchised companies and the emissions associated with downstream and/or upstream manufacture, transport and disposal of products used by the organisation, referred to as product life-cycle emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol originated at the 3rd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change held in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997. It specifies the level of emission reductions, deadlines and methodologies that signatory countries (i.e. countries who have signed the Kyoto Protocol) are to achieve.

Aka a life cycle assessment, or cradle to grave analysis. Investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused or necessitated by its existence. It is a variant of input-output analysis focusing on physical rather than monetary flows

Lead [Pb]:- a soft heavy malleable toxic metal, causes blood and brain disorders. See also - pollutants.

Nitrogen dioxide [NOx]:- a highly poisonous brown gas formed in high temperature environments, contributes to visibility degradation.

Ozone [O3]: Smog, or ground-level ozone, is the build up of secondary photochemical pollutants

Carbon monoxide [CO]: road transport is responsible for 90% of the carbon monoxide in the air. Nitrogen dioxide [NOx]: a highly poisonous brown gas formed in high temperature environments, contributes to visibility degradation. Sulphur dioxide [SO2]: is a colourless, non-flammable gas with a penetrating odour that irritates the eyes and air passages. Particulates [PM10]: tiny particles responsible for most of the smell and dirt associated with traffic pollution. Mostly diesel vehicles are responsible for 90% of the particulates in the air. Ozone [O3]: Smog, or ground-level ozone, is the build up of secondary photochemical pollutants. Benzene and 1,3-Butadiene: These are part of a group known as polycyclic hydrocarbons. They are carcinogens caused mostly by petrol vehicles. Lead [Pb]: a soft heavy malleable toxic metal, causes blood and brain disorders.

Planting of forests on lands that have previously contained forests but that have been converted to some other use. For a discussion of the term forest and related terms such as afforestation, reforestation and deforestation, see the IPCC Special Report on Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (IPCC, 2000). * = from IPCC.

Development that meets the cultural, social, political and economic needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. * = from IPCC.

Sulphur dioxide [SO2]: is a colourless, non-flammable gas with a penetrating odour that irritates the eyes and air passages.

Highly stratified region of atmosphere above the troposphere extending from about 10 km (ranging from 9 km in high latitudes to 16 km in the tropics) to about 50 km. * = from IPCC.

The lowest part of the atmosphere from the surface to about 10 km in altitude in mid-latitudes (ranging from 9 km in high latitudes to 16 km in the tropics on average) where clouds and 'weather' phenomena occur. In the troposphere, temperatures generally decrease with height. * = from IPCC.