ISSP - SEA Study Guide Flash Cards

Biomimicry

An approach to product design and innovation that emulates nature's patterns and strategies to find sustainable solutions to human challenges. USEFUL RESOURCES: Biomimicry Institute: https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/#.V3v9TTWmD7g

Cap and Trade System

An emissions trading scheme, whereby lower emitters sell permits to excessive emitters so they can stay within their regulatory emissions cap. USEFUL RESOURCES: Environmental Defense Fund: https://www.edf.org/climate/how-cap-and-trade-works

Climate Neutral

Another term for net-zero. USEFUL RESOURCES: NREL: http://www.nrel.gov/tech_deployment/climate_neutral/definitions.html

Ecosystem Services

Any positive benefit provided by an ecosystem. Four major categories of these were identified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA): Provisioning (e.g. food, water); Regulating (e.g. pollination, carbon sequestration); Cultural (e.g. recreation, inspiration); Supporting (e.g. photosynthesis, carbon cycle). USEFUL RESOURCES: National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Ecosystem-Services.aspx

Communication on Progress (COP)

At a minimum, signatories to the UNGC must produce one of these each year. The document reinforces corporate commitment to the UNGC and describes the measurable results of actions taken over the prior year. USEFUL RESOURCES: UN Global Compact: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/participation/report/cop

Code of Conduct

A document created by organizations or associations that outlines expectations for responsibilities and practices, generally related to social, environmental, and ethical issues. USEFUL RESOURCES: Fair Labor Association Code of Conduct: http://www.fairlabor.org/our-work/code-of-conduct

Circular Economy

An approach to business and sustainable development that replaces our "take, make, waste" economy with one that continuously reuses outputs, adding only those inputs derived from exclusively renewable sources. USEFUL RESOURCES: Ellen MacArthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy

Ecolabel

A "sign or logo that is intended to indicate an environmentally preferable product, service or company, based on defined standards or criteria". Depending on the certification standards, their reliability will vary. USEFUL RESOURCES: Ecolabel Index: http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels/

BREEAM

A TBL procurement, design, construction and operation assessment that evaluates a building construction project against performance benchmarks. Assessments are performed by independent auditors. USEFUL RESOURCES: BREEAM: http://www.breeam.com/

Electronics Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

A US-based product rating system for energy efficient information technology (IT) with environmental criteria addressing the full product life cycle—design, production, usage, and recycling. The rating is more rigorous than the ENERGY STAR qualifying criteria. USEFUL RESOURCES: EPEAT: http://www.epeat.net/

B Corp Certification

A certification scheme for a for-profit company whose mission aligns with creating a better society and has met the sustainability standards developed by B Lab. Their rigorous standards address social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Note that, some certified companies have legally organized themselves as "benefit corporations". USEFUL RESOURCES: B Corporation: https://www.bcorporation.net/what-are-b-corps/about-b-lab

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

A family of chemicals that are nontoxic and nonflammable that are used by industry in such applications as aerosols, solvents, and refrigerants. One example, Freon (CHC-12) was used for decades in refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners. Because they react with the upper atmosphere, they have a high ozone depleting potential (ODP) and are therefore banned under the Montreal Protocol. USEFUL RESOURCES: US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth System Research Laboratory: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/hats/publictn/elkins/cfcs.html

Ceres Principles

A global coalition of investors and environmental and social advocacy groups supporting investment, policy, and business leadership in order to promote sustainability. USEFUL RESOURCES: Ceres: http://www.ceres.org/

Biodynamic Agriculture

A holistic, ethical, and ecological approach to farming that strives to regenerate the soil and ecosystem. USEFUL RESOURCES: Biodynamics Association: https://www.biodynamics.com/what-is-biodynamics

Benefit Corporation

A legal entity that may (or may not) be a Certified B Corporation™. Directors of this corporate type are required by law to consider the impact of their actions on all stakeholders, rather than their stockholders alone. In most cases, they must publicly disclose their social and environmental performance, assessed against a 3rd-party standard. USEFUL RESOURCES: Benefit Corporation: http://benefitcorp.net/businesses/benefit-corporations-and-certified-b-corps

Biofuel

A liquid fuel, derived from plant matter (biomass), which is used for transportation. There are three formulations. Ethanol is an alcohol, fermented from high carbohydrate biomass. Biodiesel is made from a mixture of alcohol and vegetable oil—sometimes recycled cooking oil. Biogas is a gaseous fuel, produced from either anaerobic digestion or gasification. Sources of biogas recovery include landfills, livestock operations, and waste treatment plants. USEFUL RESOURCES: US Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/natural_gas_renewable.html

Carbon Offsets

A mechanism employed by businesses to meet their carbon reduction goals. Purchasing carbon credits equivalent to emissions generated by operations allows businesses to offset their impacts and meet their reduction goals. USEFUL RESOURCES: CORE (Carbon Offsets Research and Education): http://www.co2offsetresearch.org/consumer/

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

A mechanism established by the Kyoto Protocol designed to encourage project-based emission reduction activities in developing countries. Purchasing the CERs produced by these projects allows Annex 1 countries to meet their reduction commitments. USEFUL RESOURCES: Climate Change: Guide to Kyoto Protocol Project Mechanisms; Volume B: https://wbcarbonfinance.org/docs/b_en_cdm_guide_ld.pdf

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

A membership based nonprofit that promotes sustainability through conference, research, and consulting. USEFUL RESOURCES: BSR: https://www.bsr.org/

Agenda 21

A non-binding action plan for sustainable development adopted at the Earth Summit, it provided a wide-ranging blueprint to drive sustainable development around the world. USEFUL RESOURCES: UN: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/milestones/unced/agenda21

Cradle to Cradle Certified

A product certification that provides third-party assurance that a product has been designed and produced so its component parts may be used as inputs to new products. USEFUL RESOURCES: Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute: http://www.c2ccertified.org/get-certified/product-certification

Carbon Neutral Biomass

A property of biomass harvested where new growth completely offsets losses of carbon caused by harvesting. USEFUL RESOURCES: WBCSD: www.wbcsd.org/contentwbc/download/975/12609

AA1000 Accountability Standards Series

A series of 3 standards (AccountAbility Principles, Assurance Standards, and Stakeholder Engagement Standard) produced by AccountAbility to assist all type of organizations (private, government, etc.) with their sustainability strategies and actions. USEFUL RESOURCES: AccountAbility: https://www.accountability.org/standards/

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)

A set of technologies used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it, long-term, deep underground. Designed to reduce the climate impact of gas- and coal-fired power plants. USEFUL RESOURCES: EPA: https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ccs/

Balanced Scorecard

A strategic framework used to align business practices with TBL goals, improve stakeholder communications, and monitor performance. USEFUL RESOURCES: Balanced Scorecard Institute: https://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx

Adaptive management or Adaptive Resource Management (ARM)

A systematic process of continuous improvement where policies and practices are improved and adapted based on learning from previous outcomes. USEFUL RESOURCES: Foundations of Success http://www.fosonline.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AdaptiveManagementTool.pdf

Bottom of the Pyramid

A term used to describe four billion people who live in poverty and have been mostly un-served or underserved by the private sector. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these people are resilient entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers who can partner with business to eradicate poverty. USEFUL RESOURCES: Wharton School: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-fortune-at-the-bottom-of-the-pyramid-eradicating-poverty-through-profits/

Deepwater Horizon

Also known as the Gulf Oil Spill, this 2010 disaster was the largest oil spill in history. This event effectively erased the efforts of BP (previously British Petroleum) to brand their company as an environmentally conscious company going "Beyond Petroleum". USEFUL RESOURCES: Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/report/bp-gulf-oil-spill-5-years-later/

Cradle to Grave

An LCA assessment of impacts from materials extraction through manufacture and usage, to the landfill. USEFUL RESOURCES: Circular Ecology: http://www.circularecology.com/glossary-of-terms-and-definitions.html#.V3_qbjWmD7g

Cradle to Gate

An LCA assessment of impacts from materials extraction to the factory door. USEFUL RESOURCES: Circular Ecology: http://www.circularecology.com/glossary-of-terms-and-definitions.html#.V3_qbjWmD7g

Community Capital

All the "natural, human, social, and built capital from which a community receives benefits and on which the community relies for continued existence". USEFUL RESOURCES: Sustainable Measures: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/node/32

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

Also known as Carbon Engineering, this technology is used to counteract the greenhouse effect and ocean acidification by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Multiple technologies have been proposed, such as afforestation, biochar, carbon capture, and sequestration. USEFUL RESOURCES: Oxford Geoengineering Programme: http://www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/what-is-geoengineering/what-is-geoengineering/

Cogeneration

Also known as combined heat and power (CHP), this is the process of capturing and using waste heat, a byproduct of burning fuel for electricity. USEFUL RESOURCES: Cogen Europe: http://www.cogeneurope.eu/what-is-cogeneration_19.html

Earth Charter

Based on the existing conditions, this is an ethical framework that provides guidance for the transition to more sustainable living and development. The 16 guiding principles address four primary concepts: Respect and care for the community of life; Ecological integrity; Social and economic justice; Democracy, nonviolence, and peace. USEFUL RESOURCES: Earth Charter: http://earthcharter.org/

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the building block of life on Earth. When nature is in balance, carbon flows cyclically between each of the "spheres"—the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. USEFUL RESOURCES: NASA Earth Observatory: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/

Endocrine Disrupter

Certain chemicals, such as lead and mercury, have been shown to have adverse effects on hormone production and function. Many of these are still found in prolific products such as cookware, plastic containers, canned food, and others. USEFUL RESOURCES: US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/

Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs)

Coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, these are an organization's stretch targets that should be compelling, bold, and long-term. USEFUL RESOURCES: Jim Collins: http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/BHAG.html

Ecosphere

Comprised of four major systems explored by environmental studies and Earth science. The Geosphere is the Earth's core, mantle, and crust. The Atmosphere is the air around the Earth, which includes the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere. The Hydrosphere -is all the water contained on Earth, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form (e.g. ice, oceans, clouds, etc.). The Biosphere - life on Earth, including plants, animals, insects, etc. USEFUL RESOURCES: Norman Herr, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge: https://www.csun.edu/science/books/sourcebook/chapters/8-organizing/files/earth-systems-interactions.html

Carbon Neutral Organizational

Condition in which the net GHG emissions associated with an entity, product or activity is zero for a defined duration. USEFUL RESOURCES: Natural Capital Partners: http://www.carbonneutral.com/images/uploads/others/The_CarbonNeutral_Protocol_Jan2016_Low_Res.pdf

Declaration On Fundamental Principles And Rights At Work

Countries adopting this declaration are committed to providing workers freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced labor, the abolition of child labor, and the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation. USEFUL RESOURCES: International Labour Organization: http://www.ilo.org/declaration/lang--en/index.htm

CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)

Standards that set the average fuel economy for new vehicle that a manufacturer's fleet must achieve, originally established by the US Congress for cars and light trucks, in the 1970s, in response to the Arab oil embargo. In 2007 updated legislation raised the standards for cars, light trucks, and SUVs. Current standards must be met at maximum feasible levels through 2030. USEFUL RESOURCES: Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy-basics.html#.V7raujWmD7g

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)

Drives the disclosure of measurement information to improve the way companies manage their environmental risk over the long-term. They work with nearly 1,000 institutional investors to report Climate, Water, and Deforestation impacts, as well as, the performance of Supply Chains. In addition, their public sector program works with cities, states and regions to improve environmental performance. USEFUL RESOURCES: The Carbon Disclosure Project: https://www.cdp.net/en-US/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Direct Emissions

Emissions derived from sources that are owned or controlled by a reporting entity. This may include emissions from onsite combustion in boilers, furnaces, vehicles, etc., as well as emissions from chemicals in process equipment (e.g. fire suppression or refrigeration equipment. Direct emissions are reported under either Scope 1 or Scope 3. USEFUL RESOURCES: GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/standards/corporate-standard

Aarhus Convention

Entering into effect in 2001 among EU countries, and drafted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), this agreement guarantees the rights of individuals—independently and collectively—to live in "an environment adequate to his or her health and wellbeing." This includes the "rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. USEFUL RESOURCES: European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/aarhus/; http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf

Dynamic Equilibrium

Equilibrium occurs when a system is in balance such that changes to that system are imperceptible. Static equilibrium describes a system that is unchanging and motionless, but this type of equilibrium exists when a system is in a state of change yet the opposing forces at work are equivalent. USEFUL RESOURCES: Wendy K. Smith And Marianne W. Lewis, "Toward A Theory of Paradox: A Dynamic Equilibrium Model of Organizing," https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wendy_Smith22/publication/274709284_TOWARD_A_THEORY_OF_PARADOX_A_DYNAMIC_EQUILIBRIUM_MODEL_OF_ORGANIZING/links/5526aeb70cf229e6d635a31f.pdf

Chemicals of Concern

Everything containing matter is made up of chemicals—in liquid, gas, or solid form; natural and manmade; pure or mixed. The majority of chemicals pose no risk to humans or the environment, but those that could potentially cause harm are considered hazardous. Depending on the harmful properties of these they are regulated in order to protect human and environmental health. USEFUL RESOURCES: European Chemical Agency (ECHA): https://echa.europa.eu/chemicals-in-our-life/which-chemicals-are-of-concern

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Formed through cellular respiration, the decomposition of biomass, and combustion, excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. This is one of the greenhouse gases that nations are required to track under the Kyoto Protocol. According to the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) it has a global warming potential of 1. USEFUL RESOURCES: NPR (5 part video series "Global Warming: It's All About Carbon" with Robert Krulwich): http://www.npr.org/2007/05/01/9943298/episode-1-its-all-about-carbon; "Global Warming Potential Values," GHG Protocol: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools

Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)

Maintained in collaboration with RobecoSAM, this scorecard follows a "best-in-class" approach to corporate sustainability rating for investors. Their series of indices are based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term TBL criteria. USEFUL RESOURCES: Dow Jones Sustainability Indices: http://www.djindexes.com/sustainability/

Base year

In corporate GHG accounting, this is a specific year (or an average over multiple years) against which an organization's impacts are tracked over time. USEFUL RESOURCES: GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/standards/corporate-standard

Additionality

In the carbon offset market, this test answers the question: Are the GHG reductions a direct result of the project being sold? If, all else being equal, the project reduces GHG levels, then the project passes this test. USEFUL RESOURCES: CORE: http://www.co2offsetresearch.org/consumer/Additionality.html

Carbon Credits

Instruments used to trade carbon emissions among parties in either the voluntary or compliance markets. USEFUL RESOURCES: Brokers Environmental: http://www.brokerscarbon.com/carbon-credits.php

Conventions

International, multilateral, instruments, often with a narrower scope than a treaty, which establish general guidelines and principles for governance that may precede, or form the basis for, a formal treaty. a type of legally-binding international treaty. USEFUL RESOURCES: UN, NZCEL and SPREP, "Multilateral Environmental Agreement: Negotiator's Handbook Pacific Region 2013": http://www.sprep.org/attachments/Publications/EMG/MEA_Handbook_2013.pdf

Bioremediation

Introducing microbes and other biological organisms to rehabilitate environmentally contaminated sites. USEFUL RESOURCES: Cornell University: http://ei.cornell.edu/biodeg/bioremed/

Ambient air quality

Measured at ground level, away from direct sources of pollution, this refers to the level of pollution found in outdoor air. Poor air quality is associated with heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory diseases and stroke. USEFUL RESOURCES: British Columbia: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

Caux Round Table (CRT) - Principles for Government

These are based on the idea that "the expectation that better government supporting the entrepreneurial endeavors of socially responsible businesses around the world will generate greater investment of private capital to create more wealth for poor people". USEFUL RESOURCES: Caux Roundtable: http://www.cauxroundtable.org

Caux Round Table (CRT) - Principles for Business

These provide "a worldwide vision for ethical and responsible corporate behavior and serve as a foundation for action for business leaders worldwide". USEFUL RESOURCES: Caux Roundtable: http://www.cauxroundtable.org

Ecodesign Directive

This EU Directive provides rules for improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of energy-using products (EuP) and energy-related products (ErP). USEFUL RESOURCES: European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/sustainability/ecodesign_en

Bhopal Chemical Leak

Occurring in December of 1984, this disaster took place at the Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) pesticide plant in central India. A half million people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. USEFUL RESOURCES: Edward Broughton, "The Bhopal disaster and its aftermath: a review," Environmental Health, 2005: http://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-4-6

Design for the Environment (DfE)

Originally a program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this is an approach to creating more sustainable products and services that incorporates human health and environmental impact into design decisions. USEFUL RESOURCES: US EPA: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/design-environment-programs-initiatives-and-projects

Ecosystem

This consists of the biological community along with the physical and chemical factors that make up its nonliving environment. USEFUL RESOURCES: Green Facts on Health and the Environment: http://www.greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/index.htm#8

Employee Ownership

This describes the ownership of a company by a broad cross-section of employees—from rank-and-file to management—offered through a formal plan by the company. USEFUL RESOURCES: National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO): https://www.nceo.org/employee-ownership/id/12/

Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE)

This is a Japanese rating system for evaluating the environmental performance of the built environment. The program provides tools for assessing the environmental performance of housing, commercial buildings, neighborhood, and cities. USEFUL RESOURCES: Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE): http://www.ibec.or.jp/CASBEE/english/

Adaptation

This is a tool used to address negative social or environmental impacts, by developing new, more effective ways of functioning after change has occurred. USEFUL RESOURCES: NASA: http://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/

Emissions Factor

This is a value that helps to quantify the amount of a pollutant released into the atmosphere as the result of a given activity. USEFUL RESOURCES: Ecometrica: http://emissionfactors.com/knowledge/questions/25/emission-factors/

Coral Bleaching

This phenomenon results when resident algae die, due to changes in environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, light, nutrients), causing them to be expelled from their hosts. USEFUL RESOURCES: US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Passed by Congress in 1973, this act made the US one of the first countries to afford legal protections to a full range of living things, including birds, insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, flowers, grasses, and trees. USEFUL RESOURCES: US EPA: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-endangered-species-act

Clean Air Act (CAA)

Passed in 1972, this act protects human and environmental health from the effects of air pollution. Over the years, it has been used to cut ozone, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide in order to address acid rain, and remove lead from gasoline. In 2007, the US Supreme Court upheld the EPA's ability to regulate GHG emissions under this legislation. This action made it possible for the US to drive clean energy efforts despite political opposition. USEFUL RESOURCES: Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/reduce-emissions/the-clean-air-act.html#.V88qk62mD7g

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)

Passed in the wake of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, this act, provides a US Federal 'Superfund' for hazardous-waste cleanup. It also empowers the US EPA to seek out responsible parties and assure their cooperation in the cleanup. USEFUL RESOURCES: US EPA: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-comprehensive-environmental-response-compensation-and-liability-act

Capacity Building

Programmatic training and awareness efforts designed to enhance the human, technological, and organizational capabilities of an organization, so they can implement their sustainability agendas.. USEFUL RESOURCES: Learning for Sustainability: http://learningforsustainability.net/capacity-building-empowerment/

Brundtland Commission

Publisher of "Our Common Future" in 1987, the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development got its moniker from its Chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the ex-Prime Minister of Norway. USEFUL RESOURCES: UN Biography of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland: http://www.un.org/News/dh/hlpanel/brundtland-bio.htm

Certified Emission Reduction (CER) Units

Qualified emissions reductions under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). USEFUL RESOURCES: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/mechanisms/clean_development_mechanism/items/2718.php

Desalination

This technology uses a process called reverse osmosis (RO) to remove salt and other inorganic impurities from seawater, producing potable water for human consumption and crop irrigation. USEFUL RESOURCES: Sloan Review, MIT: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/533446/desalination-out-of-desperation/

Cradle to Cradle

Refers to an assessment of impacts beginning with materials extraction through to the point where the materials become inputs for new products. This type of assessment is fundamental to a circular economy. USEFUL RESOURCES: Circular Ecology: http://www.circularecology.com/glossary-of-terms-and-definitions.html#.V3_qbjWmD7g

Conflict Minerals

Refers to the trade in non-military goods, the income from which is used to fund wars and helps to perpetuate human rights abuses. Used in the context of central Africa, tin, tungsten, and tantalum (the 3Ts) plus gold comprise these goods. USEFUL RESOURCES: Global Witness: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/conflict-minerals/

Consumptive Use

Refers to water that is removed from the environment through either evapotranspiration or consumption. USEFUL RESOURCES: NREL "Consumptive Water Use for US Power Production," 2003: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/33905.pdf

Dematerialization

This term describes the practice of reducing material flows—using less of the same substances to produce an equivalent product. Along with substitution, this practice provides a key mechanism for driving sustainable development. USEFUL RESOURCES: KH Robert, "Strategic Sustainable Development: Selection, Design and Synergies of Applied Tools" Journal of Cleaner Production, 2002: http://www.foroandinopvc.org.co/documentos/Strategic%20Sustainable%20Development%20-%20K.H%20Robert%20et%20al.pdf

Dynamic Complexity

This term describes what happens in a system that is both complex and changing. Taking action in one part of this type of system yields unpredictable, erratic results, that makes solving sustainability challenges like climate change particularly difficult. USEFUL RESOURCES: The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge, 2006, Doubleday. page 71-72.

Downcycle

Since materials degrade when used (we know this from entropy, the 2nd law of thermodynamics), when recycled they can only be used as inputs for lower quality products. This term describes this phenomenon. USEFUL RESOURCES: Dictionary of Sustainable Management: http://www.sustainabilitydictionary.com/downcycle/

Arab Spring

Sparked by a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire in December of 2010, this refers to a period of uprising across the Arab world. Years of economic inequality, high unemployment, and political disenfranchisement came to a head when millions of Arab people protested and rioted, demanding political, social, and economic justice. USEFUL RESOURCES: International Monetary Fund: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2015/06/mazarei.htm

Ecological Integrity

This term refers to an ecosystem when all the native components—the abiotic elements, biodiversity and ecosystem processes—intact. USEFUL RESOURCES: Parks Canada: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/np-pn/ie-ei.aspx

Baseline

This term refers to emissions levels represented by the status-quo-ante in GHG Project Accounting. To evaluate project additionality (including GHG emissions reductions, removals, or storage), a project accountant develops various scenarios against this point in time. USEFUL RESOURCES: The GHG Protocol for Project Accounting: http://ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/ghg_project_accounting.pdf

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

This term refers to the business practice of focusing on activities affecting the triple bottom line interests of all stakeholders. USEFUL RESOURCES: IISD: https://www.iisd.org/business/issues/sr.aspx

Biodiversity

This term refers to the full range of life forms on Earth—their species, genetic, and ecological diversity. USEFUL RESOURCES: National Wildlife Federation, US: http://nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Biodiversity.aspx

Carbon Sequestration

Through the process of photosynthesis, trees, grasses, and other plants take up atmospheric carbon dioxide and store the carbon in their trunks, branches, foliage, roots, and soil. Over millennia, the biomass fossilizes and converts to coal and other fossil fuels. USEFUL RESOURCES: USDA Forest Service: http://www.fs.fed.us/ecosystemservices/carbon.shtml

ABCD Planning Method

The Natural Step (TNS) provides a strategic planning tool for sustainable development, based on the work of Karl-Henrik Robert. This tool developed to help plan in complex systems entails four steps: Awareness and visioning, Baseline mapping, Creating solutions, Decide on Priorities. USEFUL RESOURCES: The Natural Step: http://www.thenaturalstep.org/our-approach/

Annex 1 Parties

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change defines these entities as industrialized nations (previously OECD members) and economies in transition (EIT). These countries are taking on emissions reduction obligations. USEFUL RESOURCES: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/items/2704.php

Business Model

The business structure of an organization, its purpose and method of making money. USEFUL RESOURCES: HBR: https://hbr.org/2015/01/what-is-a-business-model

Anthropogenic

The effect of human activity on climate change. USEFUL RESOURCES: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch9s9-7.html

Embodied or Embedded Energy

The energy consumed throughout a product's life cycle—outside the usage phase—including materials extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life management. USEFUL RESOURCES: Institution of Civil Engineers: https://www.ice.org.uk/disciplines-and-resources/briefing-sheet/embodied-energy-and-carbon

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population that can survive indefinitely on the available resources and services. USEFUL RESOURCES: Sustainable Measures: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/node/33

Ecological Footprint

The measure of biologically productive land and water required to produce all the resources consumed and to absorb the waste generated. The carbon footprint is one part of this measurement. USEFUL RESOURCES: Global Footprint Network: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/glossary/

Anthropocene

The proposed epoch in Earth's history that begins around the time of the Industrial Revolution when human activities began to have a significant impact on the Earth's geology and ecosystems. USEFUL RESOURCES: Colin N. Waters, et al, "The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene," Science, 2016: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6269/aad2622.long

Conference of the Parties (COPs)

The supreme decision-making body comprised of the parties that have ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It has met on an annual basis since 1995, to evaluate progress on the project mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. As of February 2003, it is comprised of 188 countries. USEFUL RESOURCES: Climate Change: Guide to Kyoto Protocol Project Mechanisms, Volume A: https://wbcarbonfinance.org/docs/a_en_kyoto_projects_ld.pdf

Carbon Footprint

The total GHG emissions from fossil fuel use. USEFUL RESOURCES: Global Footprint Network: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/glossary/

Ecological Economics

The transdisciplinary field of ecology and economics that endeavors to understand how humans interact with the ecosystem around them. Informed by the past practitioners work to include the value of natural capital from ecosystem services to drive future decisions. USEFUL RESOURCES: Robert Contanza: http://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-ecological-economics

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)

The universal unit of measurement expressing the global warming potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases. It is used to compare the radiative force of a GHG to CO2. USEFUL RESOURCES: GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/standards/corporate-standard

Balancing loops

These are also known as negative feedback loops, and have a stabilizing effect, creating resistance, eventually limiting growth or collapse. USEFUL RESOURCES: Thwink.org: http://www.thwink.org/sustain/glossary/FeedbackLoop.htm

Emission Reduction Unit (ERU)

Under the Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, these carbon credits may be transferred from the account of the host country (the place where the emissions reduction project is located) to that of the investor country. These compliance credits help Annex 1 countries meet their emissions reduction targets. USEFUL RESOURCES: Climate Change: Guide to Kyoto Protocol Project Mechanisms, Volume C: http://www.ffem.fr/jahia/webdav/site/ffem/shared/ELEMENTS_COMMUNS/U_ADMINISTRATEUR/5-PUBLICATIONS/Changement_climatique/GuideC_projets_Kyoto_angl.pdf

Backcasting

Unlike forecasting based on data about what has already happened, this planning approach begins with the end in mind. Central to The Natural Step framework, planners first envision the desired future state, and then build a strategy that will lead to the desired outcome. USEFUL RESOURCES: The Natural Step: http://www.thenaturalstep.org/sustainability/backcasting/

Climate Change

While weather refers to atmospheric conditions over short periods of time, climate is the long-term behavior of the atmosphere—an accumulation of weather over time. Although daily weather may appear relatively constant, incontrovertible scientific data shows that Earth's climate is changing. The result is an increase in severe weather events, drought, changes in ocean chemistry, and rising tides. USEFUL RESOURCES: NASA: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/; http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html