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Glossary

Displaying 1 - 36 of 36 Terms

  1. California Air Resources Board (CARB)

    The California Air Resources Board, also known as (ARB) is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, the ARB is a department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency. The stated goals of ARB include attaining and maintaining healthy air quality; protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants; and providing innovative approaches for complying with air pollution rules and regulations.

  2. California Climate Action Registry (CCAR)

    A non-profit voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions in California and the official registry for AB32. The purpose of the Registry is to help companies and organisations with operations in the state to establish GHG emission baselines against which any future GHG emission reduction requirements may be applied.

  3. Cap and Trade

    The most popular type of emissions trading scheme where emissions are subject to a cap, permits are issued up to that cap, and a market allows those emitting less than their quota of the cap to sell their excess permits to emitters needing to buy extra to meet their quota. See also baseline and credit.

  4. CAR

    see Corrective Action Request

  5. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

    A two-step measure to prevent carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels entering the atmosphere, particularly from power generation. Instead of CO2 being vented, it is contained and pumped underground under pressure, where it cannot contribute to global warming. This technology is still in its infancy with results largely unproven. Also known as one form of 'carbon sequestration'.

  6. Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)

    Measurement unit used to indicate the global warming potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured. See Global Warming Potential for conversion rates.

  7. Carbon Emission Factor (CEF)

    Amount of CO2 released per unit of energy produced.

  8. Carbon leakage

    Carbon leakage occurs when there is an increase in carbon dioxide emissions in one country as a result of an emissions reduction by a second country with a strict climate policy.

  9. Carbon Neutrality

    An individual, household or organisation that is responsible for no net emissions of greenhouse gases from all its activities is considered "carbon neutral". Emissions must be cut to a minimum and any necessary emissions then offset by emission reducing activities elsewhere. Buying accredited clean electricity helps cut household or office greenhouse emissions, while investing in sustainable energy projects or afforestation schemes are examples of offsets.

  10. Carbon Offset

    A carbon offset is a financial instrument aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases. One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.

  11. Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)

    The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is a cap-and-trade system of emissions trading for anthropogenic greenhouse gases, due to be introduced in Australia in 2010 by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy, marking a change in the Energy policy of Australia.

  12. Carbon Sink

    A carbon sink is a natural or manmade reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period. The main natural sinks are: Absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans and Photosynthesis by plants and algae. The main manmade sinks are: Landfills and Carbon capture and storage proposals. The process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is known as CO2 sequestration or carbon sequestration.

  13. Carbon Trading

    The process of buying and selling carbon credits. Large companies or organisations are assigned a quota of carbon that they are allowed to emit. If a company's emissions are less than its quota then it can sell credits if emissions are more then it will need to buy carbon credits.

  14. CDM

    Clean Development Mechanism. A Kyoto Protocol initiative under which projects set up in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generate tradable credits called CERs, the first step towards a global carbon market. These credits can be used by industrialised nations to offset carbon emissions at home and meet their Kyoto reduction targets. The projects include renewable energy generation, reforestation and clean fuels switching. See also JI

  15. CDM EB

    Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board (CDM EB). The body that oversees operation of the CDM. The CDM EB registers CDM projects, issues CERs, and manages the various working groups that rule on project methodologies and other issues.

  16. CDM Programme Activities (CPAs)

    Project activity under a programme of activities. A CPA is a single, or a set of interrelated measure(s), to reduce GHG emissions, applied within a designated area defined in the baseline methodology1.

  17. CDM Registry

    System of accounts into which the CDM EB issues CERs from registered CDM project activities

  18. CERs

    Certified Emission Reductions.

  19. Certification

    A process by which a GHG reduction project is audited by a government agency or independent authority to determine that it meets established criteria. For instance, the act of approving emission reductions from a carbon project and issue emission reduction credits to the entity that owns the rights to the project credits.

  20. Certified Emission Reductions (CER)

    This is the basic unit of the Clean Development Mechanism. One CER represents the successful emissions reduction equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).

  21. Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)

    CCX is North America's only voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and trading system for emission sources and offset projects in North America and Brazil.

  22. CITL

    see Community Independent Transaction Log

  23. Clean Air Act (CAA)

    The 1990 Clean Air Act is a piece of United States environmental policy relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution.

  24. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

    see CDM

  25. Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board (CDM EB)

    see CDM EB

  26. Clear Skies Act (Clear Skies Initiative)

    The Clear Skies Act of 2003 is a proposed federal law of the United States. The official title as introduced is "a bill to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution through expansion of cap-and-trade programs, to provide an alternative regulatory classification for units subject to the cap and trade program, and for other purposes."

  27. Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCB Standard)

    The CCB Standard is a project design standard and offers rules and guidance for project design and development. It is intended to be applied early on during a project's design phase to ensure robust project design and local community and biodiversity benefits. It does not verify quantified carbon offsets nor does it provide a registry. The CCBS focus exclusively on land-based biosequestration and mitigation projects and require social and environmental benefits from such projects.

  28. Climate Security Act (CSA)

    The America's Climate Security Act of 2007 was a global warming bill that was considered by the United States Senate to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the United States.

  29. Commitment Period Reserve

    In order to address the concern that Parties could "oversell" units, and subsequently be unable to meet their own emissions targets, each Party is required to maintain a reserve of ERUs, CERs, AAUs and/or RMUs in its national registry. This reserve, known as the "commitment period reserve", should not drop below 90 per cent of the Party's assigned amount or 100 per cent of five times its most recently reviewed inventory, whichever is lowest.

  30. Compliance Committee

    The Compliance Committee is the body charged with ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol.

  31. Conference of the Parties (COP)

    The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its role is to oversee and review the implementation of the Convention at annual meetings and to negotiate new commitments.

  32. Corrective Action Request (CAR)

    A Corrective Action Request (CAR) is a request raised by the DOE during validation when there has been a mistake, the CDM requirements have not been met or there is a risk the emissions cannot be monitored or calculated.

  33. Countries with economies in transition (EIT)

    Those Central and East European countries and former republics of Soviet Union that are in transition to a market economy

  34. CPRS

    see Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

  35. CRA Rating

    In-depth analysis of the likely delivery performance of an emission reduction project based on the information provided to CRA. The risk is summarised by a Rating Score and the Risk Web.

  36. Credit Limit

    Limit on the use of CERs/ERUs for compliance by the companies under the EU ETS or other cap-and-trade systems. In the EU ETS, it is expressed as a maximum share of the total allocation.