Show the right column

Glossary of Terms

A

  • Additionality – Essentially this means the reductions in CO2 emissions that are made by projects would only happen with the carbon finance supplied by the CDM mechanisms.
  • Carbon budgets – Introduced under the Climate Change Act 2008. Set limits on emissions over 5 year periods for the UK economy.
  • Carbon offsetting – the process where credits are purchased from projects which are reducing emissions by the equivalent amount to the emissions being produced by the person or organisation purchasing the credits.

C

  • CERs – see Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs)
  • Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) – These are tradable units generated by projects in developing countries (non-Annex 1 Parties) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). They may be counted by Annex 1 Parties towards compliance with their UN and EU emissions target and are equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent gases. To deal with the issue of non permanence associated with afforestation temporary CERs (tCERs), which expire five years after their issue and long-term CERs (lCERs), which expire at the end of the crediting period of the project activity are used. Both should be replaced after their expiry date.
  • CDM – see Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
  • CDM Gold Standard – see Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Gold Standard
  • Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – One of the so-called “flexible mechanisms” under the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol provides for a CDM in Article 12 as a means for companies to undertake projects in countries without a Kyoto target (non-Annex I Parties, i.e. developing countries) which reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases and contribute to sustainable development. Such projects are then credited with “Certified Emissions Reductions” (CERs).
  • Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Gold Standard – An industry mechanism that certifies Clean Development Mechanism-approved projects that pass a stringent set of criteria largely relating to sustainable development. CDM Gold Standard credits fetch a premium on a basic CER because of the administrative process that they are subject to, and because demand is disproportionately high compared to supply. However, they provide a guarantee that the projects producing credits have measurable sustainable development benefits economically, socially and environmentally.

E

  • E-PIMS – The Office of Government Commerce’s database for collecting SDiG as well as other Government data. E-PIMS stands for Electronic Property Information Mapping Service. E-PIMS is available at http://www.epims.ogc.gsi.gov.uk/ (for public sector organisation with access to the GSI network) or https://www.epims.ogc.gov.uk/ (for public sector organisation without access to the GSI network).

G

  • GCOF – see Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF)
  • Gold Standard – see Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Gold Standard
  • Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF) – The mechanism for offsetting Government emissions as a result of travel and other activities. GCOF I covered emissions from April 2006 to March 2009. GCOF II covers emissions from April 2009 to March 2012.

K

  • Kyoto Protocol – The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change strengthens the international response to climate change. Adopted by consensus at the third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) in December 1997, it contains legally binding emissions targets for Annex I (developed) countries for the post-2000 period and provisions for ‘flexible mechanisms’ including the CDM.
  • Kyoto-compliant – Compliance credits are defined as those recognised by Her Majesty’s Government as eligible for use in complying with mandatory trading schemes in the UK - which would include Kyoto credits, EU Allowances, and any credits that meet the standard that the UK would recognise as suitable for compliance.

O

  • Offsetting – see Carbon Offsetting

S

  • SDiG – see Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG)
  • SOGE – see Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE)
  • Sustainable Development – Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
  • Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) – the reporting process operated by the Office of Government Commerce to capture data from Government Departments primarily for measuring progress against the SOGE targets.
  • Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) – Targets launched on 12th June 2006 by the Prime Minister covering areas such as climate change and energy (carbon emissions from offices and road vehicles, carbon neutrality and energy efficiency), Sustainable Consumption and Production (waste and recycling) and Natural Resource Protection (biodiversity and water consumption).

U

  • UN FCCC – see United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) – The International Body through which international agreements are made on Climate Change – including the Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009.