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Glossary Page 2Glossary Page 3Glossary Page 4Glossary Page 5Glossary Page 6Glossary Page 7Glossary Page 9| Word | Description |
| Methane (CH4): | A molecule made from one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms, methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than CO2. It is produced when organic matter decays in the absence of oxygen. |
| Nitrous Oxide (N2O): | A molecule made from two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas 310 times more powerful than CO2. It is produced in small amounts as a by-product of high temperature combustion such as in car engines, and from nitrogen-based fertilisers and other industrial processes. |
| Offsetting: | The process of funding a remote reduction in emissions to reduce the net impact of your own emissions. For example, investment in the development of clean technology helps to minimise emissions that would occur as a result of normal business activities in developing countries. The net release of GHGs to the atmosphere is therefore reduced. Offsets are commonly purchased as carbon credits. |
| Publicly Available Specification (PAS 2050): | Launched jointly by the Carbon Trust, Defra, and BSI British Standards to help organisations calculate the lifecycle carbon footprint of individual items from raw material extraction to disposal. http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Standards-and-Publications/How-we-can-help-you/Professional-Standards-Service/PAS-2050/ |
| Perfluorocarbon (PFC): | A group of greenhouse gases ranging from 6,500 to 9,200 times more powerful than CO2. They are used mainly in the semiconductor industry. |
| Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI): | The first mandatory market-based initiative in the USA to reduce GHG emissions. The aim is for 10 North Eastern and Mid-Atlantic states to cap and reduce CO2 emissions from the energy sector by 2018. Participating states will sell emissions through auctions and invest proceeds in consumer benefits including energy efficiency and renewable energy. http://www.rggi.org/ |
| Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6): | A molecule made of one sulphur atom and six fluorine atoms, sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a greenhouse gas 23,900 times more powerful than CO2. Due to its highly inert nature it is used to insulate high power electricity lines. |
| Sustainability: | Sustainability has numerous different definitions, but they are all based on the concept of being able to continue an activity or process over a long period of time – the activity does not have a negative net impact on resources . In an ecological context, sustainability can be thought of as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological functions, biodiversity and productivity. In a social context, sustainability is expressed as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. When applied in an economic context, a business is sustainable if it is accountable for the environmental and social impacts of its activities, as well as to its shareholders. |
