There’s a lot of jargon out there, and we’re here to help you understand it.

We’ll keep adding to it as new words and phrases come up. If there is a phrase that you struggle to understand - or to explain - let us know and we will do our best to define it 

Green Recovery: making sure that a cleaner, greener future is at the heart of plans to rebuild a strong economy after COVID-19.

The UK - and the world - economy has been hit massively by the pandemic. It is essential that our recovery from the current health crisis does not just return to business as normal, but instead builds back better. This is why many people are talking about the need for a ‘green recovery’, ‘green stimulus’ and ‘green transition’. This means ensuring that the government invests in growing industries like renewable power, clean transport and efficient housing fit for the future, instead of locking in pollution for generations to come. The Green Recovery was a key theme in 2020 and 2021 as we moved out of lockdowns, but it is still referenced in 2022 as governments talk about long term economic recovery plans.

See also: Green jobs - work in industries  that are needed for a cleaner future. These jobs have a positive impact on the environment either directly or indirectly e.g. renewable energy generation, conserving and restoring natural landscapes, education, policy and campaigning.

Net Zero: making sure the amount of greenhouse gases we put into the air are the same as the amount we remove. 

In June 2019, the UK was the first major economy to set a net zero emissions target. To achieve net zero, we must both rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions - particularly carbon dioxide - and invest in things that will aid the removal of gases from the atmosphere, such as tree planting and restoring natural landscapes like peatlands. 

In order for developing countries to raise their standard of living and be able to provide electricity, clean water and safe infrastructure to everyone, the wealthiest and most developed countries must do their fair share to get us to Net Zero. We need to see meaningful action from the government now if we are to reach our targets. Net zero policies will have a wide range of benefits for people, planet and nature, including improving access to green space, cutting household bills and protecting our diverse ecosystems.

However, in July 2022 the UK government’s Net Zero strategy was found to be “inadequate and unlawful” by the High Court after a case was brought against it by Good Law Project, Joanna Wheatley, Client Earth and Friends of the Earth.

COP / COP 26: an annual United Nations Climate Summit attended by world leaders to discuss how to address the climate crisis.

COP stands for ‘Conference of Parties’. The Parties are the 197 nations and territories that have signed on to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They meet once a year to decide how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally, and tackle climate change.

In 2021 the UK hosted the 26th summit, hence the name COP26, in Glasgow. There were two key outcomes from COP26; the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Paris Rulebook. Some good commitments were made but didn’t go far enough in areas like nature restoration and international development.

The Glasgow Climate Pact

Nations adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact which included agreements to strengthen efforts to build resilience to climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide the finance needed to do so. Those that signed onto the pact reaffirmed their pledge to send 100 billion dollars annually from developed to developing countries as well as to work on the gap between emission reduction plans and actual emissions. It was the first time that these nations were called upon to phase down on coal and subsidies for fossil fuels.

The Paris Agreement

In 2015, world leaders made a landmark commitment to restrict global temperature rise to 2oC and ‘to pursue efforts’ to limit warming to 1.5oC. Part of the agreement was to increase ambition on climate action every five years. 

See also: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

The Paris Rulebook

The 2022 summit (COP27) will be held in Egypt from the 7th - 18th November and will check in on the progress made by all those who signed the Glasgow agreement, holding them accountable for their progress towards their 2030 emissions targets. To meet the long-term goals set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries gave themselves three years to agree on the guidelines being implemented called the Paris Rulebook. At COP 24 in Katowice, Poland in 2018, the majority of the rules were adopted by countries with the exception of a few.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): an outline of what each country is doing to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, as part of the United Nations process for tackling climate change. These plans are submitted every five years.

An NDC is a climate action plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. NDCs are at the heart of the Paris Agreement, and collectively determine whether the world is on track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5oC. The plans should be as ambitious as possible, with each submission going further than the one before. 2020 was the first deadline for countries to submit an increased NDC following the Paris Agreement in 2015. The 2020 NDC for the UK was a commitment to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030.

1.5 Degrees C: the maximum global temperature rise above pre-industrial levels that we can allow before causing catastrophic impacts of climate change.

1.5 degrees C doesn’t seem like much, but the earth has already warmed to an average of 1 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures - and we are already seeing the effects.

There is a 50% chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily exceeding 1.5°C  for at least one of the next five years, according to a new climate update issued by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This 1.5°C figure is an indicator of the point at which the impacts of climate change will become increasingly harmful for people and the planet. For as long as we continue to emit greenhouse gases, global temperatures will continue to rise as well as the ocean temperatures, more sea ice and glaciers will melt and weather will become more extreme.

We must limit the global temperature rise to 1.5oC to protect the people, places and wildlife we love from the very worst effects of climate change. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that even at 1.5C of warming we will still see devastating global impacts from climate change - and anything over that cannot be allowed to become a reality. 

Climate justice: addressing the climate crisis while also making progress towards a fairer future for all.

Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a social, ethical and political issue. It disproportionately impacts many developing countries around the world, meaning the people on the front line of the climate crisis (and most affected by floods, droughts, water scarcity, etc.) are also the people who have contributed the least to causing it.

Climate justice recognises the climate crisis as a social and political issue that affects communities differently depending on characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality and class. Not only do communities feel the effects of climate change differently, but the responsibility for the climate crisis lies with some countries and companies more than others. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states that wealthy countries who have a higher impact on the climate crisis must provide the financial support in order for less wealthy countries to reduce emissions, adapt to impacts and improve infrastructure. 

Climate justice aims for all groups of people to be included and to have equal access to clean water, air and food. It is about finding solutions that not only reduce emissions or protect the environment but do so in a way that creates a fairer and more equal world in the process.

Loss and Damage: recognising that not all impacts of climate change can be avoided through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or adjusting to the changing climate.

Some of the adverse effects of climate change are already ‘locked in’ due to past, current and inevitable future emissions. Therefore, the idea of loss and damage is a complex one and there is no international agreement on what the term actually means. 

Developing countries have emphasised the need for developed nations to take more responsibility for climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and compensatory measures. Developed countries tend to frame the conversation around adaptation and risk reduction as these issues are closer to home. Both issues need to be addressed in order to deal with loss and damage.

It is crucial to understand the potential scale of loss and damage on a local, national, regional and global level in order for it to be addressed, and for communities to be supported. Loss and damage can include the impact of extreme weather events such as flooding, droughts, cyclones. Long term events including melting glaciers and sea-level rise. Loss and damage also refers to the loss of life, biodiversity, cultural heritage and identity communities are facing.

It acknowledges the important roles of a broad range of stakeholders at local, national and regional levels including Indigenous people and local communities in averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage that comes with the effects of climate change.

Just Transition: ensuring that no one is left behind in the move to a more sustainable economy

A just transition means creating a more sustainable economy in a way that is fair for all and ends our reliance on fossil fuels. In order for a just transition to be truly sustainable it must ensure that people who currently work in polluting industries (oil and gas, aviation) do not lose their livelihoods and are supported in the transition to green jobs. 

A recent estimate from Greenpeace shows that we could generate 1.8 million jobs in the UK as part of our transition to a greener economy. Creating cleaner transport systems, building renewable energy supplies, improving insulation in homes are just some examples of how these green industries will expand in the future. By supporting the people working in polluting industries now with training and opportunities, they can play a vital part in a just transition.

IPCC: stands for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The job of the IPCC is to assess the latest climate science and provide regular reports on impacts, risks and potential climate solutions. It was started in 1988 and provides governments with information for developing climate related policy. Thousands of experts from all round the world volunteer their time to produce comprehensive and actionable reports based on published, peer reviewed science. 

For the IPCC’s Assessment Reports (AR) experts give their time to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks. In this way, the IPCC identifies the strength of scientific agreement and where further research is needed. The IPCC doesn’t conduct its own research.

See also: AR6

AR6: the 6th Assessment Report from the IPCC

The IPCC is currently in its 6th round of reports which means it’s regularly releasing reports on the various impacts of climate change. There is a committee for each report which sits for two weeks before the report is published, discussing the science and coming to agreement on what needs to be included in each report.

The reports on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (released February 2022) and Mitigation of Climate Change (released April 2022) gained a lot of media attention, shining light on the urgent action governments around the world need to take.

Energy Security

Energy security is defined by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as the “uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price”. 

Stable energy supplies are relied on globally for transportation, communication, security, food and more. Energy security can be threatened by a number of factors including political instability in energy producing countries; competition for energy sources; unreliable energy stores; war and conflict; natural disasters. An uneven distribution of energy supplies leads to some countries having less security than others.

Renewable energy can help build energy security by increasing the diversity of energy generation, fuel sources and supply. Expanding domestic energy supply for the UK through hydrogen, wind and solar could increase energy security and decrease household bills for the short and long term.

The Global South

This term is becoming more and more commonly used to describe countries, typically outside of Europe and North America, which are often developing, have low GDPs, are marginalised and are often on the front lines of climate change. The term focuses on geo-political power dynamics rather than more broad generalisations about continents or worlds (1st world, 3rd world - now considered ‘othering’ and out of date).

North-South terminology arose from categorising patterns of wealth, privilege and development across broad regions. It is rooted in socio-economic issues that maintain inequalities in living standards, life expectancy and access to resources.

Sacrifice Zones: geographic areas that are permanently damaged by heavy environmental alteration such as pollution or economic disinvestment.

The climate crisis doesn’t impact all people and all communities equally. Many low income communities and people of colour have experienced, and are still experiencing, more extreme weather events and other crises like higher levels of pollution and lower levels of health. 

Sacrifice zones are places where residents - usually on a low income and/or people of colour - live close by polluting industries or heavy infrastructure like motorways, meaning they are disproportionately exposed to dangerous chemicals in the air, soil and water supply. These are zones where community health is ignored and negatively impacted for company profit. Racism and classism play a huge role in the geography of sacrifice zones.

Vulnerability: The degree to which systems are susceptible to, or unable to cope with, the adverse effects of climate change

Vulnerability relates to not only climate impact and adaptation but also disaster management, public health, development and secure livelihoods. The UK is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with more frequent extreme weather events and changes in climatic conditions such as temperature increase and sea level rise. Since the 1900s sea levels have risen around the UK by 16.5cm. The rate of increase had been 1.5mm per year since the 1900s, but the last 30 years have seen rates of increase at 3.0-5.2mm each year depending on location in the UK (The Met Office, 2021) These changes mean there is a higher risk of flooding and coastal erosion which is severely impacting livelihoods and infrastructure. 

The 2022 heatwaves saw unprecedented temperatures recorded across the UK and highlighted Britain’s vulnerability to increasing temperatures. Our existing infrastructure - buildings, roads, rail networks - aren’t designed to deal with such high heat levels and therefore we must keep up the pressure to ensure that politicians put in place the policies and investment we need to cut carbon and build a cleaner, greener future. 

Mitigation: Act of limiting and reducing emissions to prevent global warming.

In relation to climate change, mitigation is the action of limiting global warming by avoiding and reducing emissions to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures. Mitigation can mean using new technologies, renewable energy, or making older equipment more energy efficient. It can also be used to refer to more complex plans such as planning for a city, improving transport systems e.g. cycle lanes and changing consumer behaviour.

There is a direct relation between global average temperatures and concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Therefore, one of the key solutions to climate change is to significantly decrease the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere and enhancing sinks (e.g. increasing forest areas). The sooner we act to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the better off we’ll be in the future.

Divestment from Fossil Fuels:

Without government planning, it will be more difficult to end our society’s reliance on fossil fuels and make the switch to renewable energy. The UK is not doing enough to enable a shift to green and active transport and our corporate finance sector is still funding fossil fuel projects around the world. According to data from 38 degrees, 76% of the British public are in favour of renewable energy (specifically onshore wind expansion) even in their area

However, the UK Government is still funding and subsidising fossil fuel companies. According to the campaign group Paid To Pollute, the UK Government has given the oil and gas industry £13.6 billion in subsidies since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. In the Glasgow Climate Pact from COP26, the UK and other countries committed to ‘phasing down’ on fossil fuels but are still pushing for new oil and gas developments such the Cambo oil field which will increase pollution levels and fail to keep warming under 1.5C. Renewable energy has the potential to meet our energy needs but the sector lacks the public investment that the fossil fuel industry has.