Sustainability can be overwhelming due to complex jargon. We've simplified it to guide you through.

Environmental Social Governance: a framework that measures a business's impact on the environment, society, and how accountable it is

Corporate Social Responsibility: a business practice that considers the impact of a company's actions on society and the environment

Corporate Social Responsibility Directive: a European Union (EU) law that requires companies to report on their environmental and social impacts

Carbon Reduction Plan: a roadmap that outlines how an organisation will reduce its carbon emissions

Public Procurement Notice June 2021: An accessible template for a carbon reduction plan for public contracts

An international standard that helps organisations manage their environmental responsibilities and reduce their impact on the environment

Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures: A framework for large companies to disclose climate-related risks and opportunities

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting: a mandatory reporting framework for energy and carbon emissions, for large businesses in the UK

Extended Producer Responsibility: a policy that holds procures responsible for their products' entire lifecycle, businesses must report on packaging waste data to do this

Science-Based Target Initiative: emission reduction goals aligned with the latest climate science

B-Corporation Accreditation: a certification for businesses meeting high social, environmental, and transparency standards

An evaluation of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a business decision or project

Each carbon credit represents the right to emit 1 tonne of CO2e, these are used in emissions trading systems (e.g. EU emissions trading scheme) to track emissions and incentivise reductions. Individuals or organisations can also purchase voluntary credits to offset carbon footprints

Life Cycle Assessment: an analysis of the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to disposal

Sourced from naturally replenished resources such as wind, solar, and hydro

A business model that aims to keep materials in use for as long as possible by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, recycling, and sharing products and materials

Misleading claims about a product, service, or company being environmentally friendly

Sustainable Development Goals: 17 global goals set by the United Nations to achieve a better and more sustainable future by 2030

A sustainability framework focusing on three aspects: people, planet, and profit

The full range of activities required to bring a product or service from conception to delivery and disposal

A process from the initial point to when an end-user consumes the product

The process of reducing carbon emissions from activities or products

Carbon Literacy Training: education that equips individuals with knowledge and skills to act on climate change, reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability

The collecting and processing a material to be used again (rather than ending up in a landfill)

The long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns

Greenhouse gases are the gases in the earths atmosphere that traps heat

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e) a way of measuring and comparing all greenhouse gases and expressing them in one common unit

The amount of carbon emitted by an individual or organisation in a given period of time, or the amount of carbon emitted during the manufacture of a product

The carbon scopes are a way of categorising the different kinds of emissions a company creates in its own operations and in its wider 'value chain'

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy.
• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions in a company's value chain.

A finite amount of carbon that can be emitted into the atmosphere before warming will exceed specific temperature thresholds

A way of compensating for emissions by participating in, or funding, efforts to take CO2 out of the atmosphere. Paying another party, somewhere else, to save emissions equivalent to those produced by your activity

The year against which countries or organisations measure their target decrease of emissions

The overall balance between emitting and absorbing carbon in the atmosphere

When the emissions produced are offset by carbon credits or natural carbon sinks