The A – Z of sustainability terminology

The term “accessibility” is often used in the context of the physical built environment, referring to how easy it is for people with disabilities to move around and use the space. However, the concept of accessibility can be applied more broadly to anything that is accessible to all, such as information or services. For sustainability, this means designing and delivering programs, products, and services that are inclusive and meet the needs of everyone. This concept is called Universal Design.

Active transportation includes walking, cycling, skating, and wheelchair use – any human-powered travel.

Not only does this support human health & wellbeing, but it also forms part of a personal carbon reduction plan – as active transportation does not emit any GHGs.

Adapting to a changing climate means being proactive about the risks from those changes and taking steps now, regardless of whether or not we have actually experienced them yet. Adaptation is one of the key strategies governments can use to address sustainability issues such as sea-level rise, droughts, heatwaves, and other impacts from global warming. It also helps build resilience against extreme weather that can be especially hazardous for coastal communities and fragile infrastructure.

“Affordable housing” is a term used to describe housing that is accessible to those who earn an income below the median in their area. In the sustainability context, it is important to have affordable housing because it enables people to live close to their workplaces, reducing the amount of energy and resources needed for transportation. It also allows people to live in communities that have access to essential services and amenities that meet their basic human rights.

The term “agency” can have different meanings, but for sustainability, it usually refers to the ability of people or organisations to take action. Agency is about having the power to make decisions and then taking responsibility for them. It’s also about being able to act on our convictions and principles, which is essential for creating meaningful change.

The term Anthropocene refers to a new geological time period, one where the primary influence on the planet’s natural history is human activity as opposed to natural sources of change such as geologic processes or major meteorological events. It is considered by some scientists as an epoch that began about 1945, with the rise in global uranium-based nuclear energy production and testing; but it has also been argued that the human impact extends well beyond this date to over millennia via increased greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental changes.

Asset-based community development (or ABCD) is a community development strategy that focuses on the assets – or strengths – of a community rather than its deficiencies. It starts by identifying what a community has already going for it, such as its people, institutions, and natural resources, and then building from there.

Building strong, resilient communities is essential to the economic wellbeing of people, businesses, local authorities and even government spending.

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of life on Earth, including the different plants, animals, and microorganisms that make up ecosystems. It includes both the genetic diversity of different species and the variety of ecosystems around the world.

Biomimicry is a design approach that looks to nature for inspiration in order to create more sustainable technologies, products, and processes. It can involve copying the shapes, structures, or behaviours of natural organisms or mimicking the way natural systems work.

The biosphere is the place on Earth where life exists. It is made up of all the regions on Earth where organisms can live, including land surfaces, surface water bodies, and the atmosphere above them.

Carbon has been getting a bad rap lately, as the word is often co-opted to represent Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which is a GHG.

A carbon atom is the basic building block of all life on Earth. It is part of structures called organic molecules which are found in most living things, from animals to plants to microbes. Carbon exists in different forms, including charcoal, gas and diamond.

The carbon cycle describes how carbon atoms make their way around various parts of the planet – through rocks and water, air and organisms.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) describes technologies that can prevent large quantities of CO2 emissions produced by stationary sources such as power stations or industrial facilities from entering the atmosphere, by capturing the gas and storing it in a geological formation underground.

A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (including CO2) emitted as a result of an individual’s or organisation’s activities. It can be expressed in terms of the tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted (tCO2e) or in terms of the number of flights taken, energy consumed, or goods produced.

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A carbon credit is a tradable certificate that represents the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) or the equivalent amount of another greenhouse gas.

They are (mis)used by companies and governments to compensate for their CO2e emissions.

The misuse is when organisations use them to compensate for their emissions, without actively reducing their GHG output. 

Further Reading

Circular Economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (take, make, use, waste) in which materials are recycled or reused to as great an extent as possible.” The circular economy model seeks to maintain materials at their highest utility and value, eliminate waste and pollution, and regenerate natural systems.

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Climate change refers to a broad array of environmental degradation that is predicted to result from increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 and other pervasive Green House Gases (GHG), including global warming, alterations in precipitation, sea-level changes and more extreme weather events.

CSR is a term that refers to corporate social responsibility, which is the promise of a business to contribute to long-term economic growth by working with employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and other stakeholders to improve their quality of life. This can involve donations to not-for-profits and charity organisations that fall under the company’s corporate values.

Bigger organisations often have entire departments dedicated to their CSR. While it has a place in a corporate sustainability agenda, on its own, does not meet the requirements of sustainable development. 

A design philosophy “that suggests materials and products should be biodegradable and recyclable at the end of their useful life.”