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Glossary & Offsetting

In discussions about the Climate Emergency, many terms may not always be clearly explained. We’ve compiled this glossary to help you better understand key terms related to climate action.

The threat to human welfare and survival resulting from rising global temperatures, mainly caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

A mix of gases such as carbon dioxide (mainly created by burning fossil fuels), methane, nitrous oxide, and others that trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming.

The state in which the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is balanced by the amount removed, leading to no net increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, household, organization, place, or product, usually expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

If you would like to suggest any additional terms to be added to this glossary, feel free to let us know!

Offsetting

While individuals can make significant strides to reduce their carbon footprint, it’s unlikely we can achieve actual zero emissions on our own. To reach Net Zero, we must also offset the greenhouse gas emissions we’re still producing.

This involves supporting efforts that remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as reforestation or investing in clean energy projects.

We will be adding more details about how you can personally offset your emissions in the near future, so stay tuned!

If you would like to join Harborough Climate Action or ask us a question, or suggest something you would like to see on our website, just drop us an email