Environmental Terms in News: Key Concepts

Context (IE):

The 29th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) began in Baku, Azerbaijan. This event highlights critical discussions about global climate action and environmental sustainability. Let’s take a closer look at some key environment-related terms in the news.

Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), due to human activities. This footprint is linked to the energy used for daily activities, including electricity generation, heating, transportation, and manufacturing.

Examples of sources of carbon footprint:

• Fossil fuel combustion (e.g., driving a car, using electricity from coal-based plants)
• Industrial production
• Agriculture (livestock, deforestation)

Tools and Methods for Measuring Carbon Footprint

1. Carbon Calculators:
   These are online tools that allow individuals or organizations to estimate their carbon emissions by entering information about energy consumption, travel habits, and other activities.
2. GHG Protocol:
   This internationally recognized standard offers guidance for organizations to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions across three scopes:
   • Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.
   • Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity.
   • Scope 3: Other indirect emissions, such as from the supply chain.
3. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):
   This method evaluates the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its entire life, from raw material extraction to disposal, to provide a detailed carbon footprint measure.

Carbon Markets

Carbon markets are designed to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by providing a platform for trading carbon credits. This mechanism creates financial incentives for companies and countries to cut emissions.

How do Carbon Markets Work?

• Earning Carbon Credits:
  Countries or companies that reduce their emissions beyond mandated targets can earn carbon credits.
• Trading Carbon Credits:
  These credits can be sold to other countries or companies that are struggling to meet their emission reduction targets. The trading of these credits is facilitated through specialized marketplaces.

Carbon Neutrality

Carbon neutrality, also known as net-zero, refers to a situation where the total emissions of greenhouse gases are balanced by their removal from the atmosphere. Achieving carbon neutrality involves reducing emissions as much as possible and offsetting the remaining emissions through methods like carbon capture and forest conservation.

How is Carbon Neutrality Achieved?

• Reducing Emissions:
  Reducing fossil fuel use and increasing energy efficiency.
• Enhancing Carbon Sinks:
  Preserving and expanding natural sinks, such as forests and wetlands, which absorb CO2.
• Carbon Capture Technologies:
  Utilizing advanced technologies to capture CO2 emissions directly from the air and store them underground.

Global Targets:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has set the target year of 2050 for the world to achieve net-zero emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.