Sustainability : Glossary
Biomass
Living or recently-dead organic material that can be used as an energy source, excluding organic material that has been transformed by geological processes, such as coal or petroleum.
Carbon Neutral
Measuring the carbon emissions from an identified building, product, service or company in equivalent tonnes of either carbon or carbon dioxide, then balancing the emissions with carbon reductions or carbon offsets to reach a level of net-zero carbon emissions.
Carbon Offset/Carbon Credit
A financial unit designed to reduce carbon emissions. Measured in equivalent tonnes of carbon or carbon dioxide, one carbon offset represents the reduction of one tonne of carbon. Carbon offsets are used to mitigate carbon emissions by supporting the development of carbon reduction projects.
Embodied Carbon
The total carbon emissions, quantified in equivalent tonnes of carbon or carbon dioxide, associated with the manufacture and production of specified materials or construction of a building.
Energy Efficiency
Using less energy to fulfil the same function or purpose; this term is usually attributed to a technological solution rather than to a change in behaviour.
Fossil fuel
Fuel such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, formed by the decomposing remains of plants and animals under immense heat and pressure over millions of years. These fuels, which together have generated most of the energy consumed globally for over a century, contain a high percentage of carbon and hydrocarbons.
Operational Carbon
The total carbon emissions, quantified in tonnes of carbon or carbon dioxide, associated with the running of a process or plant, for example, heating and lighting systems in a building.
