Glossary of Sustainability (2022)

Jumping into the world of sustainability can be daunting. There are a lot of worthy causes on this planet, which means a lot of vocabulary and jargon to learn. This sustainability glossary can help you understand the meaning of the latest green terms.

A

Accountability

Holding yourself, others, and corporations responsible for their actions.

Activism

Getting involved in a community to achieve a joint goal (political or otherwise) sometimes by protests and other forms of demonstrations.

Air Quality

A measurement of the level of pollution in the air.

Alternative Energy

Energy that comes from somewhere other than fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or gas. Alternative energy examples are wind, solar, and nuclear. 

Awareness

Staying informed and up to date on a subject.

B

Beeswax Wraps

An alternative to plastic cling wrap. These are usually made of cotton fabric coated in beeswax, a resin, and a mixture of oils.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth and how it interacts with its surroundings. This term includes all plants, animals, and microorganisms living on land and in water.

Biodegradable

Products that need microorganisms such as fungus or bacteria to break down. Compostable and biodegradable do not mean the same thing.

Bioethanol

Is used as an alternative fuel supplement. It is made from agricultural products like sugarcane and maize.

C

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

The process where carbon that is in Earth’s atmosphere is captured and put into storage facilities to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide

a colorless, odorless, incombustible gas. Also known as CO2. It is present in the atmosphere. Humans breathe in oxygen from the air and exhale carbon dioxide. It is used in many industries from fire extinguishers to carbonated beverages.

Carbon Emissions

The amount of CO2 that’s released into the atmosphere.

Carbon Footprint

The amount of greenhouse gas emissions released into Earth’s atmosphere by the activities of an individual, group, or company. 

Carbon Neutral

Balancing carbon emissions with carbon offsets. In simple terms, offsetting the same amount of carbon that is being released into the atmosphere.

Carbon Offset

A purchase made by a company or individual to compensate for their carbon output. This is usually done by sponsoring a project such as a tree planting.

Carbon Sink

Oceans and forests are natural carbon sinks because they absorb carbon dioxide.

Circular Economy

A system designed to keep items out of the landfill. Goods are designed in a way that reduces waste and increases the reuse of resources used in the production of those goods.

Climate Change

A long-term change in temperature, precipitation, seasons, weather events, etc. especially due to an increase in the atmospheric temperature. 

Compostable

All-natural materials such as food, cotton, hair, etc. that will break down in an outdoor environment. Compost, the material left after everything has broken down, is then used for fertilizer for plants.

Conscious Consumerism

The intentional purchase of responsibly produced products and services.

Conservation

The prevention of harming or wasting Earth’s natural resources.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The plan a company makes to reduce its impact on the environment. This plan may also layout the company’s commitment to other social and political issues.

Cruelty-Free

Products that have not been tested on any animals. This term is used mainly in the cosmetics niche but can be used in other industries too.

D

Deforestation

Clearing or large reduction of trees in a forest or other wooded area. This can be caused by natural forces or human behavior. 

Downcycling

A form of recycling where a product is made into a lower quality product. Plastics can be recycled only a few times in their life and the quality decreases every time.

E

Eco-Friendly

A commonly used term referring to products and services that are not causing environmental damage.

Ethical Fashion

This term is centered around the social impact of the fashion industry. It includes a wide range of issues such as working conditions and living wages.

Ecotourism – Small-scale tourism is aimed at having a low impact on the environment while benefiting local communities and allowing tourists to learn more about the area.

Endangered Species

A species that is likely to become instinct in the future.

Energy Efficiency

Measures how good something is at not using energy. Insulating a home is an example of making a home more energy-efficient.

F

Fair Trade

Fair Trade certifications are used to show that a specific product or brand meets specific standards for environmental integrity. Fair Trade refers to the movement to support farmers, producers, and workers’ rights while supporting the environment.

Fast Fashion

A business model focused on the mass production of cheaply made items sold at low prices. Fast fashion plays a large part in overproduction and overconsumption in our society. Today, fast fashion is responsible for nearly 10% of global gas emissions.

Fossil Fuels

Coal, gas, peat, and oil are fossil fuels. They are formed underground over a long time and are burned for energy.

Food Waste

Nearly 40% of all food in the United States is wasted. 108 billion pounds of food is wasted per year in the U.S. That is equal to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food tossed out each year.

G

Geothermal Energy

Heat from the Earth. This energy is clean and sustainable.

Global Warming

The increase in the overall temperature on the planet. 

Green Business

A business focused on sustainable operations from beginning to end. The goal is to eliminate any harmful impact on the environment.

Greenhouse Effect

An atmospheric heating phenomenon that refers to gasses that have or are contributing to the warming of Earth by trapping the sun’s rays in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gas

Gasses that tend to trap heat radiating from the Earth’s surface causing the lower atmosphere to get warmer. The major greenhouse gasses that cause climate change are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (NO2).

Green Living

Lifestyle that aims to reduce waste, limit toxic substances, and decrease the use of power and water.

Greenwashing

A term used when a company falsely claims its production or products are eco-friendly in some way. More greenwashing is showing up now that sustainability and environmentalism are more common.

H

Habitat

The physical environment that is home to the plants and animals that live in the area.

Hazardous Waste

Waste that is a threat to the wellbeing of people, plants, or animals. Hazardous waste can be found in factories, vehicles, pesticides, and more. 

Herbicide

A pesticide designed to kill plants, weeds, or grasses. Almost 70% of pesticides used by farmers today are herbicides. These substances have a wide-ranging effect on non-target plants (and other life) they are used on.

Hydrogen Power

This is used as a fuel for spacecraft and is now being used in commercial fuel cell vehicles and fuel cell buses. Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel when it’s burned with oxygen. It can be used to power electric devices using electrochemical cells or vehicles using internal combustion engines.

I

Indigenous Species

Plants and animals that are native to the area.

Insulation

Material that is used in homes and other buildings to prevent heat loss, reduce noise, and improve comfort.

K

Kyoto Agreement

An international agreement that was signed in Japan in 1997. It is attached to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The countries involved have promised to reduce their combined greenhouse gas emissions to at least 5 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 to 2012. 

L

Landfill

A place used for the disposal of household and industrial waste materials.

Linear Economy

The common model for producing goods in today’s society. New resources are extracted to make goods that are discarded at the end of the product’s life.

M

Minimalism

A movement about owning only items that provide real value and/or pleasure. The less stuff someone has, the lower their impact will be. Less stuff also means less cleaning and organizing.

N

Natural Resource

A resource that occurs naturally such as land or water.

Non-governmental organization (NGOs)

Groups outside of the government. These groups typically have a social mission that operates independently from the government

Non-renewable Resources

Resources that will run out and cannot be replenished in our lifetime. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource.

Nuclear Power

The use of nuclear reactions for producing electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and nuclear fusion reactions. Currently, the majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Waste

Leftover substances from the energy generated at nuclear power stations. The material is radioactive and harmful to humans and other animals. 

O

Organic

Organic materials have not had any chemical pesticides during their growing process, nor have they been genetically modified.

P

Paris Agreement

An agreement dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The agreement falls within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and was signed in 2016.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances into Earth’s environment.

R

Rainwater Harvesting

The gathering and storage of rainwater for reuse instead of allowing it to run off.

Recycling

The process of changing waste materials into new materials. This process does divert some waste from landfills.

Reforestation

Natural or Intentional replenishing of forest and woodlands that have been depleted.

Remanufacturing

When a used product is returned to its original performance status with a warranty that is equivalent to the newly-made product.

Renewable Energy

Energy from renewable resources. Examples of sources that are renewable include water, wind, and solar.

S

Slow Fashion

A movement focusing on the processes and resources used to make clothing. The hope is people will buy less stuff at a higher quality so it will last longer.

Social Responsibility

The obligation an individual or organization has toward the welfare of society.

Solar Panels

Also known as PV panels. They are used on houses, businesses, and even vans. Solar panels can be used for many applications including remote power systems for rural homes, telecommunications equipment, remote sensing, and the production of electricity by residential and commercial solar electric systems.

Solar Power

Power harnessed from the sun using panels made of photovoltaic (PV) cells to collect energy from the sun’s rays (which is composed of particles of energy called “photons”) and convert it to electricity.

Sustainability

A concept composed of three pillars: economic, environmental, and social (or profit, planet, and people). Sustainability focuses on meeting present needs without taking away the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

T

Traceability

A company’s ability to trace its supply chain from start to finish.

Transparency

Being open and honest about the true cost and process that goes into making a product. This usually involves companies sharing the whole life-cycle of a product from start to finish. Sourcing, production, packaging, and anything else involved in the product’s production. This allows the customer to make an informed purchasing decision.

U

Upcycling

Making something new out of an item that would have otherwise gone to the landfill.

V

Vegan

A way of living that aims to end the exploitation and cruelty to animals in food, clothes, and other industries.

W

Waste Management

The management of collecting waste; collection, handling, processing, storage, and transport to its final destination.

Waste Prevention

A portion of the waste management process that aims to reduce the amount of waste produced. Waste prevention’s goal is to minimize the potential harm to human health or the environment from packaging or ingredients in products.

Water Conservation

Policies, strategies, and activities put into place to manage the natural resource of fresh water for current and future water demands.

Water Scarcity

When the demand for freshwater is higher than the freshwater resources available. It affects every continent and was listed in 2019 by the World Economic Forum as one of the largest global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade.

Wind Power

Energy harnessed from the wind using windmills at wind farms.

X

Xeriscaping

Landscaping or gardening design that does not need irrigation. It is used in arid climates and minimizes the need for water use.

Z

Zero Waste Lifestyle

A lifestyle built around waste prevention. The main goal is to reduce the amount of trash being created.