The Climate Dictionary: Your Everyday Guide to Climate Action

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our times. Every day, people from all walks of life are stepping up to take action and work towards a sustainable future.

However, if you’re new to the conversation, terms like “carbon footprint” or “climate justice” can feel confusing or hard to grasp. That’s why we created The Climate Dictionary—a simple and practical guide to help you understand key climate concepts and join the movement with confidence.

Bookmark it, share it, and use it to strengthen your efforts in combating climate change. And don’t worry—we’ll keep adding new terms so we can all work together to create a healthier, greener planet! 🌍

The Climate Dictionary: Your Everyday Guide to Climate Action

Weather Vs. Climate

Weather refers to the specific atmospheric conditions experienced in a certain place at a specific moment. These conditions include factors like temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, cloud cover, and visibility. Weather events are interconnected, often creating chain reactions that influence atmospheric conditions far beyond their point of origin, sometimes affecting areas hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away.

In contrast, climate represents the long-term average of weather patterns in a particular region, typically measured over a span of 30 years or more. It provides an overall picture of the region's typical atmospheric behavior.

The climate of our planet is undergoing significant changes, largely driven by human activities since the industrial era. The extensive release of greenhouse gases, especially in the past century, is a major factor causing these alterations.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gases are substances in the atmosphere that trap the sun's heat, maintaining Earth's temperature and supporting life. However, since the onset of the industrial age, human activities have drastically increased the levels of these gases, contributing to global warming and climate change.

Key greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases used in cooling systems. Carbon dioxide is the most significant contributor, primarily released through the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and land-use changes. Over the last two centuries, CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere have surged by about 50% due to heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Methane, another critical greenhouse gas responsible for roughly 25% of global warming, is released during coal, oil, and gas extraction, as well as from agricultural activities and waste management practices.

To avoid severe consequences of climate change, it is crucial for nations worldwide to collaborate and drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions. Urgent action is needed to keep global warming within the critical limit of 1.5°C.

Global Warming Vs. Climate Change

Global warming refers to the rise in Earth’s average surface temperature caused by an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. These gases trap more heat by absorbing solar radiation, resulting in a gradual heating of the planet. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and livestock farming significantly contribute to this phenomenon by releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Climate change, on the other hand, encompasses the long-term alterations in Earth’s climate systems, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns. It impacts ecosystems that sustain biodiversity and human health. This phenomenon intensifies extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and droughts, and contributes to rising sea levels and coastal erosion due to ocean warming, melting glaciers, and shrinking ice sheets. These effects collectively disrupt the balance of natural systems and pose significant challenges for life on Earth.

Climate Crisis

The climate crisis highlights the critical challenges arising from changes in the Earth's climate. These include extreme weather events, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, food and water scarcity, health threats, economic instability, displacement, and even conflict driven by resource scarcity.

Since the 19th century, human activities have driven a rise in global temperatures by approximately 1.2°C, with the majority of this increase occurring since 1975. This warming has already caused widespread harm to ecosystems and human societies, particularly in low-income regions, where over 3 billion people are highly vulnerable to its effects.

Scientists warn that surpassing a global temperature increase of 1.5°C could trigger catastrophic tipping points, leading to irreversible changes that threaten the stability of human civilization. To avoid this scenario, urgent collective action is needed. Governments must work to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, achieve net-zero targets, invest in climate adaptation measures, and restore natural ecosystems that are critical for the planet's resilience.

Feedback Loop

Climate feedback loops occur when a change in the climate initiates a series of reactions that amplify the initial change, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. These loops can eventually lead to tipping points, where the resulting alterations in Earth’s climate systems become extreme and irreversible.

Scientists have identified several critical feedback loops contributing to global warming. For instance, as Arctic sea ice melts, the darker ocean surface is exposed, absorbing more heat and accelerating the melting process. Similarly, wildfires not only destroy forests but also release large amounts of greenhouse gases, which intensify global warming and increase the likelihood of more fires. Other significant feedback mechanisms include the thawing of permafrost, which releases trapped methane, forest dieback, and the proliferation of pests due to changing ecosystems. These interconnected processes pose significant challenges to stabilizing the climate.

Tipping Point

A tipping point refers to a critical threshold in the climate system, beyond which certain changes triggered by global warming and climate change become irreversible, regardless of efforts to reduce global temperatures. These shifts can result in abrupt and potentially catastrophic impacts for both humanity and the planet.

With rising global temperatures, the likelihood of crossing several tipping points is increasing. Notable examples include the potential collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, which could cause substantial sea level rise and endanger coastal ecosystems and communities. Similarly, the thawing of permafrost in tundra regions could release vast amounts of greenhouse gases, such as methane, further intensifying global warming. Other significant tipping points include widespread coral bleaching, which threatens marine biodiversity, and the destruction of rainforests, which disrupts ecosystems and accelerates climate instability. These events would have profound consequences for life on Earth.

Climate Overshoot

The Paris Agreement calls for countries to take decisive actions to prevent dangerous climate change by keeping global warming well below 2°C, with an aim to limit it to 1.5°C. However, even in optimistic scenarios, there is a significant risk that these targets may be temporarily exceeded. This phenomenon, known as climate overshoot, refers to a period during which global temperatures rise beyond 1.5°C before potentially declining later. Current projections suggest this overshoot could occur mid-century, though warning signs indicate it may happen sooner.

The longer this overshoot period persists, the greater the risks to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities, particularly in vulnerable regions such as arid areas, coastal zones, and low-lying islands. Extended high temperatures could lead to irreversible damage, including severe disruption to natural habitats and significant harm to livelihoods. To minimize these impacts, it is crucial to implement deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions during this decade, ensuring the overshoot is both brief and limited in its effects.

Mitigation

Climate change mitigation involves efforts by governments, businesses, and individuals to lower or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance carbon sinks that absorb these gases from the atmosphere.

Reducing emissions can be achieved through various strategies, such as switching to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, improving energy efficiency, using low-carbon transportation options, encouraging sustainable agricultural practices, and adopting environmentally friendly production, consumption, and dietary habits. Enhancing carbon sinks involves activities like reforesting degraded areas, conserving wetlands and marshlands, maintaining healthy soil, and safeguarding terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

For mitigation measures to succeed, they must be supported by effective legislation, policies, and investments that create an enabling environment for climate action.

Did you know? To meet the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by the middle of this century.

Adaptation

Climate change adaptation involves taking steps to reduce vulnerabilities and minimize the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, and threats to food and water security.

Even with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of climate change will persist for decades due to the energy already stored in the system. As a result, adaptation is essential to protect both people and ecosystems from these inevitable changes.

At the local level, communities play a vital role in implementing adaptation strategies. These include cultivating drought-resistant crops, adopting regenerative farming practices, improving water management systems, reducing wildfire risks through land management, and constructing robust defenses against extreme weather like floods and heatwaves.

At the national and international levels, governments must develop policies and large-scale measures to support adaptation. These efforts include relocating vulnerable infrastructure from coastal areas, building climate-resilient structures, establishing early warning systems for disasters, developing climate-specific insurance schemes, and protecting ecosystems and wildlife through targeted initiatives.

Adaptation efforts at all levels are critical to ensuring a sustainable and resilient future in the face of ongoing climate challenges.

Resilience

Climate resilience refers to the ability of communities and ecosystems to anticipate, adapt to, and manage the impacts of climate change, while minimizing damage and recovering effectively to emerge stronger.

Building resilience involves proactive measures to protect societal well-being, economic stability, and the environment. This can include equipping individuals with new skills to diversify their livelihoods, strengthening disaster response and recovery systems, improving access to climate information and early warning mechanisms, and implementing comprehensive long-term planning.

A truly resilient society is inherently low-carbon, as reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to mitigating the severity of future climate impacts. Moreover, resilience is rooted in equity and climate justice, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the support they need to adapt and thrive in the face of climate challenges.

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint represents the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, product, or activity. Larger carbon footprints indicate higher emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and methane, which significantly contribute to climate change.

Calculating a carbon footprint involves assessing direct emissions, such as those from burning fossil fuels for energy, heating, and transportation, as well as indirect emissions from producing and disposing of food, goods, and services consumed.

Reducing carbon footprints is achievable through various strategies, including adopting renewable energy sources like solar and wind, enhancing energy efficiency, implementing stricter industrial regulations, making sustainable purchasing and travel choices, and minimizing meat consumption and food waste. These actions collectively help mitigate the impact on the climate.

Climate Justice

Climate justice emphasizes fairness and the protection of human rights in addressing climate change. It advocates for equitable solutions that account for historical, social, and generational disparities.

A key aspect of climate justice focuses on the unequal responsibilities among nations. Wealthier countries and industries, which have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases, bear a greater obligation to mitigate climate impacts and support vulnerable nations and communities that have contributed the least to the crisis but face its worst consequences.

Within individual countries, structural inequalities—such as those based on race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status—highlight the need for fairness in distributing the responsibilities of climate action. Those who have benefited most from activities causing the crisis should take the lead in addressing it.

Climate justice also considers intergenerational equity. Today’s children and young people, who have contributed minimally to the problem, will face the most severe impacts of climate change throughout their lives. Their rights and futures must be central to climate policies, ensuring they have a voice in decision-making and action for a sustainable world.

Nature Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions involve strategies that protect, conserve, restore, and sustainably manage ecosystems to tackle climate change, preserve biodiversity, and support sustainable livelihoods. These approaches emphasize the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity while actively involving local communities and Indigenous Peoples, whose traditional knowledge plays a crucial role in protecting natural environments.

These solutions are applied across various ecosystems, including terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine areas. For example:

• Restoring wetlands helps reduce flood risks.

• Conserving mangroves protects coastal communities from storms and supports local food sources.

• Forests act as carbon sinks, enhance biodiversity, improve water security, and prevent landslides.

• Urban parks and green spaces mitigate the effects of heatwaves and improve air quality.

• Regenerative agriculture enhances soil health, increases carbon sequestration, and boosts agricultural productivity.

Nature-based solutions provide multiple benefits, simultaneously addressing climate challenges and creating opportunities for communities. They promote job creation, support sustainable livelihoods, and increase resilience while helping to protect the planet. These solutions are a win-win for both people and the environment.

Indigenous Knowledge

Indigenous Peoples’ lifestyles are inherently low-carbon, rooted in harmony with the natural world. Their traditional practices are sustainable and adaptive, fostering ecosystems that thrive with minimal environmental impact.

As some of the earliest observers of climate change, Indigenous Peoples have developed knowledge systems that are intergenerational and community-driven. This wealth of knowledge provides valuable insights into climate solutions, supporting efforts to mitigate emissions, adapt to changing conditions, and build resilience. By offering precise, localized information, Indigenous knowledge complements scientific research and helps refine climate change strategies.

The lands managed by Indigenous communities are vital for preserving global biodiversity. However, despite their critical role, Indigenous Peoples are often excluded from global decision-making on climate action and environmental issues. Recognizing their rights to ancestral lands and incorporating their knowledge and practices into policies and actions are essential steps toward addressing climate change and protecting the planet.

Loss and damage

The term loss and damage lacks a universally agreed-upon definition in international climate discussions, but it broadly refers to the inevitable consequences of climate change that occur despite mitigation or adaptation efforts. It underscores the limitations of adaptation, especially when tipping points are crossed, making some climate impacts unavoidable.

Loss and damage can be categorized into two types:

• Economic Loss and Damage: These are tangible losses that have a financial cost, such as rebuilding infrastructure damaged by cyclones or floods, or the loss of coastal lands, homes, and businesses due to rising sea levels and erosion.

• Non-Economic Loss and Damage: These are intangible impacts that cannot be easily quantified in monetary terms. Examples include the trauma of living through extreme weather events, the displacement of communities, loss of cultural heritage and history, or the loss of biodiversity.

  
  

Acknowledging and addressing loss and damage is critical, as it highlights the need for robust climate action to prevent further harm and support the recovery of affected communities.

Climate Security

Climate change intensifies food, water, and livelihood insecurity, triggering cascading effects such as displacement, migration, and increased competition for natural resources. These pressures can heighten tensions, instability, and, in some cases, lead to conflict within or between regions. Additionally, climate impacts can exacerbate existing conflicts, prolonging their duration and complicating efforts to deliver climate solutions and sustain peace.

Climate security involves identifying, managing, and mitigating the risks that the climate crisis poses to peace and stability. This approach ensures that climate mitigation and adaptation efforts do not merely avoid harm but actively contribute to fostering peace. It also integrates climate considerations into conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategies, particularly in regions already grappling with fragility. Technical solutions to climate challenges, such as renewable energy projects or sustainable land use, can become opportunities to repair the social fabric and build resilience.

Did you know? Climate action can directly address some root causes of conflict and fragility. For instance, providing access to renewable energy not only supports clean water, lighting, and heating but also drives local economic development and recovery. Such interventions pave the way for sustainable development while promoting stability and peace.

Climate Finance

Climate finance refers to the funding and financial tools allocated to combat climate change, enabling the transition to a low-carbon global economy and helping communities adapt to its impacts. Large-scale investments are crucial for implementing climate solutions and building resilience in the face of environmental challenges.

Climate finance is sourced from both public and private entities at national and international levels, utilizing instruments like grants, green bonds, concessional loans, debt swaps, and guarantees. These funds are directed toward key activities such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), enhancing resilience (adaptation), and building sustainable infrastructures.

Global multilateral funds such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Adaptation Fund (AF) play a vital role in channeling climate finance. High-income nations, which bear historical responsibility for significant emissions, pledged to raise $100 billion annually to support climate action in low-income countries—a target that remains unmet and urgently needs scaling.

Did you know? Investing in climate action delivers far-reaching benefits. According to the World Bank, every $1 invested can generate an average of $4 in returns, showcasing the economic and environmental value of proactive climate strategies.

Net Zero

Achieving net zero means balancing the carbon dioxide emissions generated by human activities with efforts to remove an equivalent amount from the atmosphere, such as through carbon sinks like forests and wetlands. This balance ensures no further increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, helping to stabilize the climate.

Transitioning to net zero demands a fundamental transformation across sectors, including energy, transportation, production, and consumption. It is a critical step to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change and secure a sustainable future.

Did you know? To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 and decline rapidly. The IPCC recommends reducing global CO₂ emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero in the second half of this century. These actions are essential to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

Decarbonization

Decarbonization refers to the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by society while increasing the ability to absorb these emissions through methods like enhancing natural carbon sinks. This involves transforming key aspects of the economy, including energy generation, industrial production, transportation, construction, and land management.

To achieve the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, governments and businesses must commit to rapid decarbonization by 2030. This entails investing in low-carbon infrastructure, transitioning to renewable energy, promoting a circular economy, improving resource efficiency, and restoring land and soil. Additionally, it requires rethinking economic models to prioritize sustainability over unchecked growth.

Decarbonization is a critical step toward combating climate change and ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy comes from natural sources that are continually replenished, such as sunlight, wind, flowing water, and geothermal heat. Unlike fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—which contribute 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy is clean, sustainable, cost-effective, and capable of creating more jobs.

Transitioning to renewable energy across all sectors—electricity, heating and cooling, transportation, and industry—is crucial to tackling the climate crisis. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, the world must phase out fossil fuels immediately and rapidly electrify energy systems using renewables.

Did you know? In 2022, renewable energy accounted for 29% of global electricity production. With adequate investments, this share could grow to 65% by 2030, driving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon Sink

A carbon sink is any natural or artificial process, activity, or system that absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere than it emits. Forests, oceans, and soil are the largest natural carbon sinks on Earth.

• Oceans absorb CO₂ through marine ecosystems and the plants and animals they support, a process often referred to as blue carbon.

• Forests and soil store carbon in trees, vegetation, wetlands, peatlands, and plant litter, acting as critical reservoirs for atmospheric carbon.

However, human activities like burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and land degradation release more CO₂ into the atmosphere than natural carbon sinks can handle, accelerating global warming and climate change. Additionally, climate change and unsustainable practices are degrading these vital carbon sinks, risking the release of the carbon they store.

To combat climate change, it is essential to protect and restore carbon sinks while enhancing their capacity to absorb and store carbon over the long term. This strategy is crucial for stabilizing the climate and reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels.

Cardon Removal vs. Carbon Capture

Carbon removal involves extracting greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through natural methods, like reforestation and soil management, or technological approaches, such as direct air capture and enhanced mineralization. While carbon removal can help slow climate change, it is not a replacement for reducing emissions. Instead, it serves as a necessary measure to minimize the duration and severity of any temporary overshoot of climate targets.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) focuses on capturing emissions from industrial processes and fossil fuel power plants before they are released into the atmosphere, storing them underground instead. This method is particularly relevant for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like cement, steel, and chemical production. However, CCS is not a substitute for transitioning to renewable energy but a complementary tool to address emissions in these challenging industries.

Both technologies are in early development and require thoughtful policies to scale effectively. Nevertheless, reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the source must remain the primary focus to mitigate the climate crisis and meet global targets.

Carbon Markets

Carbon markets are systems that create economic incentives for reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions. In these markets, emissions are quantified into carbon credits, with each credit representing one tonne of carbon dioxide or an equivalent amount of another greenhouse gas that has been reduced, captured, or avoided. These credits can be traded among countries, companies, or individuals.

• Who uses carbon credits?Carbon credits are purchased by nations as part of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), corporations striving to meet sustainability goals, and individuals looking to offset their carbon footprints.

• Where do carbon credits come from?Credits are generated by programs initiated by governments or private organizations to reduce emissions, such as renewable energy projects, reforestation efforts, or carbon capture technologies. These projects are certified by third-party bodies under recognized carbon market standards.

For carbon markets to function effectively, they require:

1. Strong carbon accounting frameworks to ensure accurate measurement of emissions reductions.

2. Transparency in transactions to build trust and accountability.

3. Safeguards to prevent human rights violations or negative societal impacts.

4. Measures to address greenwashing, ensuring that carbon-neutral claims are genuine and not misleading.

When managed properly, carbon markets can be a valuable tool in the global effort to combat climate change.

Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach focused on restoring and enhancing soil health, which in turn reduces water consumption, prevents land degradation, and promotes biodiversity. Practices like minimizing ploughing, rotating crops, and using natural inputs such as animal manure and compost help the soil store more carbon, retain moisture, and support thriving microbial and fungal ecosystems.

In contrast to intensive agriculture—which contributes a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 70% of freshwater, and leads to soil degradation and biodiversity loss—regenerative agriculture offers a sustainable alternative. By avoiding heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, it mitigates environmental damage and promotes ecosystem health.

Beyond reducing emissions and conserving resources, regenerative farming produces healthier soil, leading to higher yields, better nutrition, and improved biodiversity, making it a vital strategy for sustainable food production and combating climate change.

Reforestation vs Afforestation

Forests play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance by absorbing carbon dioxide, filtering pollutants, preventing soil erosion, and providing clean water. They also serve as habitats for half of the world's terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects. Two impactful nature-based strategies to combat climate change are reforestation and afforestation.

• Reforestation involves replanting trees in areas where forests have recently been lost due to factors like wildfires, drought, disease, or human activities such as deforestation for agriculture. This process restores ecosystems and helps sequester carbon.

• Afforestation refers to planting trees in regions that have not been forested in recent history. It helps rejuvenate degraded land, prevent desertification, establish new carbon sinks, and provide economic benefits to local communities.

Both strategies are vital for mitigating climate change, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting sustainable livelihoods, making them integral to global climate action efforts.

Rewilding

Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems that have been disrupted by human activities. Unlike traditional conservation, which often focuses on protecting specific species through direct intervention, rewilding involves allowing nature to regenerate and thrive on its own. This often includes reintroducing key species, like beavers, wolves, or large herbivores, that play essential roles in shaping and maintaining ecosystems.

Rewilding contributes to addressing climate change by enhancing natural processes such as carbon sequestration through woodland regeneration. It also combats biodiversity loss by creating habitats rich in flora and fauna, enabling wildlife to adapt to changing conditions and migrate as global temperatures rise. By fostering resilient ecosystems, rewilding serves as a powerful tool for both ecological restoration and climate action.

Circular Economy

The circular economy is an approach to production and consumption that focuses on minimizing waste, reducing pollution, and using natural resources sustainably while regenerating ecosystems. It shifts away from the traditional "take-make-dispose" model to one where materials and products are reused, recycled, or repurposed to extend their lifecycle and reduce environmental harm.

Circular economy principles can be applied across various sectors, including textiles, construction, and manufacturing, at every stage of a product's journey—from design and production to distribution and disposal. This model not only addresses pollution but also plays a key role in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. By promoting resource efficiency, it helps nations transition to resilient, low-carbon economies and creates green jobs in the process.

Did you know? Only 7.2% of materials used globally are currently cycled back into the economy. This inefficiency places immense strain on the environment, contributing to crises in climate, biodiversity, and pollution. If this trend continues, humanity will require the resources of approximately 1.7 Earths to meet current demand.

Blue Economy

The world's oceans are essential to sustaining life on Earth, influencing everything from weather patterns and climate to the air we breathe. Oceans regulate rainfall, provide drinking water, sustain coastlines, and are a source of food, medicines, and oxygen. However, climate change poses significant threats to their health, impacting marine ecosystems and the services they provide.

The blue economy focuses on harnessing the potential of the oceans for economic growth and social inclusion while ensuring their long-term environmental sustainability. It aims to balance development with the preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.

The blue economy encompasses both traditional industries, such as fisheries, tourism, and maritime transport, and emerging sectors like offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed mining, and marine biotechnology. By prioritizing sustainable practices, the blue economy offers a pathway to protect ocean health while supporting livelihoods and fostering innovation.

Green Jobs

Green jobs are meaningful employment opportunities that actively contribute to environmental protection, restoration, and efforts to address climate change. These jobs span various sectors, including the production of green products and services like renewable energy and eco-friendly technologies, as well as environmentally responsible processes such as recycling and sustainable agriculture. Green jobs focus on improving resource efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste and pollution, and restoring ecosystems while fostering climate adaptation.

As the demand for green jobs grows, it is essential for countries to equip their workforce with the necessary skills and education to meet this need. This includes training young people for emerging roles in the green economy and retraining workers from carbon-intensive industries to transition smoothly. Ensuring inclusive access to these opportunities supports a just transition, promoting economic growth while leaving no one behind in the shift toward a sustainable future.

Greenwashing

As the urgency to tackle the climate crisis grows, many private sector companies are committing to transitioning toward a low-carbon economy. However, some of these efforts are more about appearances than substance, leading to a phenomenon known as greenwashing.

Greenwashing occurs when companies make exaggerated or false claims about their environmental practices or the sustainability of their products to appear eco-friendly. This can happen unintentionally, due to a lack of understanding of environmental issues, but often it is a deliberate marketing strategy aimed at capitalizing on public demand for climate action.

Greenwashing undermines trust in genuine sustainability efforts and allows harmful environmental practices to persist unchecked. It highlights the need for greater transparency, accountability, and robust standards to ensure that corporate environmental claims align with meaningful action.

Just transition

In the fight against climate change, transitioning to a low-carbon or net-zero economy demands a significant transformation of global economic systems. However, this shift carries the risk of exacerbating social inequalities, excluding vulnerable communities, and creating economic disruptions for certain sectors and workers.

A just transition ensures that the move toward a greener economy is inclusive and equitable, leaving no one behind. It requires governments and businesses to consider the impacts of these changes on all communities, workers, and social groups. This includes providing training and reskilling opportunities to support workers in carbon-intensive industries and creating pathways to decent, sustainable jobs.

By prioritizing fairness and inclusivity, a just transition helps mitigate social and economic challenges while advancing climate goals, fostering a more resilient and united society.

UNFCC

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a global environmental treaty established in 1992 to address and mitigate human-caused disruptions to the climate system. It came into force in 1994 and is widely recognized, with 198 parties as signatories. The UNFCCC serves as the foundation for key climate agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

The UNFCCC secretariat plays a critical role in coordinating the global response to climate change. It facilitates negotiations between member countries, organizing two to four sessions annually, with the Conference of the Parties (COP) being the most significant. Additionally, the secretariat provides technical expertise, supports the analysis and review of climate data, and manages the registry of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline each country's climate action plans. Through these efforts, the UNFCCC drives international collaboration to combat climate change.

COP

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the annual United Nations conference focused on addressing climate change, held under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since its inception in 1995, COP has served as a platform for nations to negotiate and collaborate on climate action.

A landmark moment in COP history occurred at COP21 in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was adopted. This globally significant treaty commits nations to limit global warming to well below 2°C, with efforts to restrict it to 1.5°C.

Today, COP brings together countries that are parties to the Paris Agreement to evaluate progress, set new targets, and negotiate legally binding agreements to strengthen global efforts against climate change. These conferences are vital for maintaining momentum and ensuring accountability in the fight against the climate crisis.

Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty designed to address the global challenge of climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with an aspirational target of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris in 2015, the treaty came into effect in 2016, marking a significant milestone in global climate action.

This agreement is notable for its universal commitment, requiring all Parties to enhance efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts. It establishes mechanisms for developed countries to support developing nations through financial and technological assistance. Additionally, the Paris Agreement promotes transparency by setting a framework for monitoring, reporting, and reviewing progress, ensuring accountability in achieving climate goals. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of collective action in addressing the climate crisis.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NCDs)

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are commitments made by countries under the Paris Agreement to outline their climate action plans aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C. These pledges represent short- to medium-term strategies and are updated every five years to reflect increased ambition in addressing climate change.

NDCs detail the actions each country will take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and adapt to climate impacts (adaptation). They also include strategies for financing, monitoring, and verifying progress. In 2023, the first global "stocktake" was conducted to evaluate collective progress toward the implementation of NDCs and the overarching goals of the Paris Agreement. This process ensures accountability and encourages nations to enhance their climate efforts over time.

Transparency

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to regularly report on the progress of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Transparency in this reporting is vital to ensure the global community can accurately track progress, foster trust, and confirm that all parties are contributing to the collective effort to combat climate change.

Transparent reporting provides governments and international organizations with reliable data to make informed, evidence-based decisions. It also enhances our scientific understanding of climate change, enabling the development of more effective policies and actions for mitigation and adaptation.

By promoting trust, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, transparency plays a critical role in unlocking the full potential of the Paris Agreement. It encourages countries to pursue more ambitious climate targets, ensuring a stronger and more united global response to the climate crisis.

National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are strategic frameworks that guide countries in planning and implementing actions to reduce their vulnerability to climate change, while strengthening adaptive capacity and resilience. These plans are closely linked to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and integrate with other national and sectoral policies and programs to ensure a cohesive approach to climate adaptation.

For NAPs to be effective, they must be participatory, inclusive, gender-responsive, and transparent. This involves assessing the diverse needs and vulnerabilities of different groups, particularly those most affected by climate change, such as marginalized communities. Including these groups in the design and implementation of strategies ensures that the plans are equitable and address the unique challenges faced by each segment of the population.

By fostering collaboration and inclusivity, NAPs can drive meaningful climate adaptation efforts, helping countries build resilience and safeguard their communities against the impacts of climate change.

Long-term Strategies

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are encouraged to develop and communicate long-term strategies (LTS) for emissions reductions, outlining their vision for transforming society to achieve climate goals over the coming decades, typically by 2050. These strategies align with the overarching objectives of limiting global warming and achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century.

LTS provide a roadmap that complements shorter-term commitments like Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ensuring coherence and direction in climate action. They guide countries toward low-carbon development pathways, discourage fossil fuel-dependent investments, and highlight the socio-economic benefits of transitioning to a green economy. By fostering innovation and attracting investment in sustainable infrastructure and low-carbon technologies, LTS play a critical role in advancing climate solutions.

Moreover, LTS emphasize just and equitable transitions, prioritizing fairness and inclusivity for communities most impacted by climate change and the green transition. When formally submitted to the UNFCCC, these strategies are referred to as Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) and are publicly accessible on the UNFCCC website.

REDD+

Forest conservation and restoration are essential strategies in combating climate change, capable of delivering over a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed to mitigate its worst impacts. One key framework supporting these efforts is REDD+, established through international climate negotiations.

REDD, which stands for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation", focuses on minimizing emissions caused by the loss and degradation of forests. The "+" in REDD+ expands its scope to include forest conservation, sustainable management, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks, particularly in developing countries.

By addressing deforestation and promoting sustainable forest practices, REDD+ not only reduces carbon emissions but also supports biodiversity, protects ecosystems, and fosters sustainable livelihoods for communities dependent on forests. It is a vital tool in global efforts to mitigate climate change while promoting environmental and social benefits.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an independent organization established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess and synthesize scientific research on climate change.

The IPCC's primary function is to evaluate the vast body of scientific literature on climate change, offering credible, evidence-based insights and recommendations to policymakers and the public. Its reports cover the causes, impacts, risks, and potential solutions for climate change, addressing both adaptation and mitigation strategies. Recognized globally, the IPCC serves as the most authoritative source of scientific information on climate change, guiding international and national efforts to address the climate crisis effectively.

Action for All

• Youth-Led Movements: Join climate groups or start campaigns in your city.

• Education: Learn and share—talk to your friends, create social media posts, or host a climate workshop.

• Advocacy: Urge local leaders to adopt clean energy solutions and climate-friendly policies.

  
  

The Big Picture

Together, we can build a future powered by renewable energy, greener lifestyles, and stronger climate resilience. We have the power to lead change—not just for your community but for the world.

Start today. The climate needs you. 🌍

**If you notice any important term missing from this Climate Dictionary, please share it in the comments below. Your contribution will help everyone expand their knowledge, take action, and engage meaningfully in the fight against climate change.