Sustainability has become an increasingly important concept in recent years. As we work to build a more just, equitable, and environmentally conscious society, it’s crucial that everyone has a common understanding of the key terms and concepts related to sustainability.
In this blog post, I aim to provide the ultimate sustainability glossary covering all the key terms and definitions. From climate change to zero waste, this glossary covers the full range of topics related to creating a sustainable future.
A
Acidification – The process of becoming more acidic. In terms of the oceans, acidification refers to the decrease in pH caused by increased carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere. This can negatively impact marine ecosystems.
Adaptation – Adjustments made to natural or human systems in response to the actual or anticipated impacts of climate change, in order to mitigate harm or take advantage of new opportunities.
Agroforestry – The intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems. This approach combines the benefits of agriculture and forestry to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.
B
Biodiversity – The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat. High levels of biodiversity are essential to ecosystem health and stability.
Bioaccumulation – The accumulation of dangerous substances, such as pesticides or heavy metals, in an organism or the food chain over time. This can occur from direct exposure or ingestion.
Biodegradable – Capable of being decomposed by bacteria, fungi, or other living organisms. Biodegradable substances break down faster than non-biodegradable ones.
Biofuel – Fuel derived from plant or animal matter, such as wood, corn, or manure. Biofuels are considered renewable sources of energy.
Biomagnification – The process by which chemicals become more concentrated as they move up the food chain. The substances, like mercury, can reach toxic levels in top predators.
Biomass – Organic material from living or recently living organisms. Biomass can be used as a renewable energy source.
Bioplastics – Plastics derived from renewable biomass sources that can biodegrade under certain conditions, such as high heat composting facilities.
Biosphere – The parts of Earth where life exists. This includes land, water, and air, from the deepest ocean trench to the tallest mountain.
Blackwater – Wastewater from toilets and urinals. It requires proper treatment before being reused or returned to the environment.
Blue water – Fresh surface and groundwater used for irrigation and other agricultural purposes. Monitoring blue water helps evaluate water use sustainability.
BPA – Bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used to make some plastics. It can leach into food and is a suspected human endocrine disruptor. Many manufacturers now label their products “BPA-free.”
C
Carbon footprint – The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product.
Carbon offset – A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are used to counterbalance unavoidable emissions.
Carbon sequestration – The capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide, such as through reforestation or geological carbon storage. This helps mitigate climate change.
Circular economy – An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. It employs reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, and recycling to create a closed-loop system.
Climate change – The long-term change in global weather patterns and average temperatures primarily driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
Climate justice – A movement highlighting that those least responsible for climate change suffer its gravest consequences. Climate justice advocates for equitable climate action and environmental policies.
Compost – Decayed organic material used as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Composting food scraps and yard waste reduces waste sent to landfills.
Cradle-to-cradle – A biomimetic approach to designing products for full recyclability. The goal is to eliminate the concept of waste by using safe, regenerative materials.
D
Deadstock – Unused raw material or unsold finished product. Upcycling deadstock reduces textile waste and the environmental impact of producing new materials.
Decomposition – The process by which dead organic materials are broken down into simpler forms of matter like carbon dioxide, water, and nutrient compounds.
Deforestation – Permanent removal of forests and trees to clear land for uses like agriculture and development. This contributes significantly to climate change.
E-waste – Discarded electronic products like computers, cell phones, televisions, and associated components. E-waste contains toxic materials and requires special handling.
Eco-anxiety – Anxiety or worry related to current and future environmental damage or catastrophe, and feelings of loss over environmental change.
Eco-conscious – Actively concerned about the health of the environment and acting accordingly. Making conscious consumption and lifestyle choices to reduce your environmental footprint.
E
Eco-efficiency – Creating more value with less environmental impact and reduced resource use. Producing eco-efficient goods or services lowers ecological footprints.
Eco-friendly – Not environmentally harmful or wasteful. An umbrella term for goods and practices considered sustainable and non-polluting.
Eco-innovation – Innovations that aim to establish more sustainable ways of living. Eco-innovations reduce impacts on the environment through green solutions.
Eco-label – A voluntary labeling system indicating overall environmental preferability of a good or service based on lifecycle assessment. Helps consumers identify sustainable products.
Ecological footprint – A measurement of the amount of natural resources required to support human activities. It assesss the biological capacity of the planet compared to humanity’s resource demands.
Ecosystem – A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. Healthy ecosystems have high biodiversity and are resilient.
Embodied energy – The total energy consumed over the full life cycle of a product, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
Endocrine disruptor – A chemical that interferes with normal hormone function, potentially causing health problems. Some disruptors are found in plastics, pesticides, and personal care products.
Energy efficiency – Accomplishing the same results with less energy input. Improving efficiency reduces energy waste and consumption.
F
Fair trade – An alternative trading model that aims to help producers in developing nations and promote sustainability. Fair trade producers receive fair wages and work under good conditions.
Fast fashion – Low-cost clothing collections based on seasonal trends rather than classic style. The rapid production and consumption of fast fashion has major environmental impacts.
Food miles – The distance food travels from where it is grown or raised to where it is ultimately purchased by the consumer. Locally grown food has lower food miles.
Food waste – Food that is discarded or lost uneaten throughout the supply chain. Reducing food waste conserves resources and limits greenhouse gas generation during decomposition.
Fossil fuels – Fuels formed by the decomposition of buried dead organisms containing high percentages of carbon. Oil, coal, and natural gas are examples. Burning fossil fuels is the leading cause of climate change.
Fracking – Hydraulic fracturing, a process of extracting oil and gas from shale rock layers by injecting high-pressure water, chemicals, and sand underground to create fractures for resource extraction.
Fuel efficiency – Achieving more mileage from a gallon/liter of fuel. Increasing vehicle fuel efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
G
Genetically modified organism (GMO) – An organism whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering techniques like gene splicing or gene deletion. GMOs are controversial in agriculture and food.
Geothermal energy – Renewable energy generated from the natural heat inside the Earth’s crust. Technologies like geothermal heat pumps leverage this stable, eco-friendly energy source.
Global warming – The long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) primarily due to human activities.
Green chemistry – The design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances.
Green infrastructure – The interconnected set of natural and engineered ecological systems, green spaces, and other landscape features. It provides services like stormwater management, clean air, and wildlife habitat.
Green technologies – New, innovative technologies designed to minimize environmental impact. These range from biodegradable plastics to aeroponic growing systems.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) – Gases that absorb and emit radiant energy, causing the greenhouse effect. The main GHGs contributing to climate change are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.
Greenwashing – Deceptive marketing and advertising that portrays companies or products as more environmentally sustainable or beneficial than they truly are.
Greywater – Gently used wastewater from bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. Greywater can be safely reused for irrigation and non-potable purposes if properly filtered.
H
Habitat conservation – Protecting and restoring habitats and ecosystems necessary for wildlife to thrive. This maintains biodiversity and ecological services.
High-efficiency (HE) detergent – Detergents formulated to clean effectively while using significantly less water and energy. HE detergents cut resource consumption in laundering.
Hydropower – Electrical energy generated by turbines activated by flowing water. Hydropower harnesses the renewable kinetic energy of water without producing carbon emissions.
L
Landfill – Sites for waste disposal by burial in layers underground. Landfills produce methane, so reducing waste sent to landfills lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Leaching – The process by which chemical components dissolve and are released from materials like soil, landfills, or packaging. Some leached substances can pollute groundwater.
LEED certification – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building certification program indicating structures were designed for energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and more.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) – Evaluating the environmental impacts of a product through all stages of its life – from materials sourcing to manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal.
Low-carbon – Producing relatively low quantities of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute less to climate change per unit produced.
Low-impact development (LID) – Land planning and engineering design approach to managing stormwater runoff that emphasizes conservation, use of on-site natural features, and infiltration to protect water quality.
M
Methane (CH4) – A potent greenhouse gas with 28x the global warming potential of CO2. Methane is emitted from landfills, livestock, and fossil fuel extraction activities.
Microplastics – Tiny plastic pieces less than 5 mm long that pollute the environment. Primary microplastics are manufactured for products like exfoliants. Secondary microplastics break down from larger plastics.
Mitigation – Human intervention aimed at reducing harmful impacts on the environment by limiting the magnitude or rate of long-term climate change.
N
Native plants – Plants indigenous to a given area in geologic time. Supporting native plants preserves regional biodiversity.
Natural capital – The planet’s natural assets and ecosystems that provide vital goods and services, like clean water, pollination, storm protection, and climate regulation.
Nitrous oxide – A potent GHG with 300x the global warming potential of CO2. Microbes in soil and water produce nitrous oxide naturally, but fertilizer use increases emissions.
O
Off-gassing – Release of volatile organic compound (VOC) gases like formaldehyde from synthetic materials and products into indoor air. Off-gassing can adversely impact indoor air quality.
Organic agriculture – A method of crop, vegetable and livestock production using cultural, biological and mechanical practices that promote biodiversity, sustainability, and renewable resources.
Overconsumption – The excessive use of resources, goods, or services beyond basic necessity and beyond the environment’s capacity to maintain those consumption levels.
Ozone (O3) – A colorless gas composed of three oxygen atoms useful in the stratosphere for blocking UV rays but harmful as a surface-level pollutant causing smog.
P
Permaculture – The holistic design of sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems modeled on the patterns and relationships found in natural ecologies.
Pesticides – Substances used to kill or control unwanted insects, plants, molds, rodents, and other organisms deemed pests. Overuse of pesticides can damage ecosystems.
Planned obsolescence – Strategically engineering a product to have a limited useful life in order to boost sales and turnover. Drives fast fashion, technological waste, and e-waste.
Plastic pollution – Harmful accumulation of plastic waste in the natural environment and food chain, such as in the oceans and marine animals. Caused by mass production, use, and improper disposal of plastic.
Polyculture – Agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, often mimicking natural vegetative diversity. Polyculture leverages beneficial plant interactions like pest control and soil enrichment.
R
Recycle – Processing used materials into new, useful products rather than wasting them. An important step in the “reduce, reuse, recycle” approach to resource conservation.
Reforestation – Intentional, active planting of trees and recovery of forestland that was lost or destroyed. Reforestation helps capture atmospheric carbon and restore wildlife habitats.
Regenerative agriculture – Farming and grazing practices that help reverse climate change by rebuilding soil’s organic matter, improving biodiversity, and increasing carbon sequestration both above and below ground.
Renewable energy – Energy from virtually inexhaustible natural sources like wind, sunlight, geothermal heat, and biomass. Switching to renewables reduces fossil fuel dependence.
Resilience – The capacity of ecosystems, communities, and natural or constructed systems to recover from disturbances, adapt to change, and transform in response to disruptions in order to maintain core functions and identity.
Reusables – Products designed for repeated use and extended lifespan rather than single use followed by disposal. Using reusables reduces waste and need for new materials.
Reuse – The act of using an object, article of clothing, or material again for the same purpose, an alternate use, or for creative purposes without fully processing it for recycling. An important conservation method.
ROHS compliant – Electronic products certified as compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) Directive, which bans certain toxic substances from manufacture.
S
Single-use plastics – Plastic items meant for just one use before being discarded. These include straws, bags, cups, cutlery, food packaging, and more. Reducing single-use plastics cuts waste.
Slow fashion – An approach to designing, producing, and purchasing garments that values environmental and social responsibilities over profit and trends. Slow fashion emphasizes quality craftsmanship, timeless style, and repairing and reusing clothes.
Social sustainability – The ability of a community or society to develop interconnected systems, institutions, and relationships that promote resilience, health, and well-being for individuals as well as socio-ecological integrity and justice across generations.
Solar energy – Radiant energy from the sun converted into thermal (solar heating), electrical (photovoltaics), and chemical (biomass) energy. Solar energy is the ultimate renewable since the sun will never run out!
Sustainability – The ability to meet current needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability seeks balance between environmental, social, and economic demands.
Sustainable agriculture – Farming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize damage to key ecosystems. Sustainable agriculture aims for productive, prosperous farms with healthy soils and biodiversity.
Sustainable fashion – Clothing, shoes, and accessories made in environmentally and socially conscious ways. This includes using eco-friendly materials, supporting fair wages, reducing pollution, and designing timeless pieces.
T
Take-back programs – Programs allowing consumers to return used products and packaging to the manufacturer for recycling or proper disposal. Take-back programs promote corporate responsibility for products post-use.
Tare weight – The weight of an empty container or packaging. Subtracting tare weight gives the net weight of the contents. Requesting tare weight can help reduce single use packaging when shopping bulk.
Tip fee – The price charged per ton to drop off waste at a recycling, composting, landfill, or waste transfer facility. Tip fees incentivize waste reduction.
Topsoil – The naturally fertile, nutrient-rich upper layer of soil vital to agriculture and ecosystem services like water purification, nutrient cycling, and carbon storage. Topsoil loss is a major environmental problem.
Toxicity – The degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxic substances like heavy metals and VOCs can persist in the environment and accumulate in animal tissues.
Toxin accumulation – Build-up of dangerous substances like heavy metals, chemicals, and microplastics in the environment and living organisms over time. Can occur from exposure or consumption.
U
Upcycling – Creatively reusing discarded materials or waste to transform them into new products with added value and an improved quality or purpose. Upcycling reduces waste and need for new materials.
Urbanization – The process by which towns and cities grow and expand to accommodate increasing populations shifting from rural to metropolitan living. Rapid, unplanned urbanization strains resources and ecosystems.
Use phase energy – The electrical energy used by an appliance, machine, or system during its typical service life while functioning for its intended purpose and in its originally designed application. Also called in-use energy.
Here is the continuation of the sustainability glossary:
W
Waste management – Systems, policies, and procedures for monitoring and handling solid waste from generation through final disposal. Sustainable waste management prioritizes the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle.
Water conservation – Protecting water resources by aiming to sustainably manage demand for water, reduce water waste, and preserve water quality and accessibility for current and future generations.
Water efficiency – Accomplishing the same processes, services, and needs with less water. Improving water use efficiency reduces water waste and stress on freshwater resources.
Water footprint – The amount of water consumed over the full life cycle of producing goods, services, or food. Evaluating water footprints identifies water risks and opportunities for efficiency improvements.
Water pollution – The contamination of water sources that makes them unsafe, unsuitable, or undesirable for intended uses like drinking, recreation, farming, and ecosystem needs. Main causes are industrial discharge and plastic waste.
Water scarcity – An insufficient amount of potable water resources to meet demand in a region due to high usage levels, droughts, pollution, or inadequate access. Water scarcity will increase with climate change.
Water sense – An EPA program identifying water efficient products and practices that help conserve water without compromising performance. WaterSense labeled products exceed federal efficiency standards.
Water table – The upper level of underground water saturating the soil and filling available porous bedrock space. Overdrawing the water table depletes groundwater reserves.
Z
Zero waste – The conservation of resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of materials to eliminate waste and the need for incineration and landfills.
I aimed to make this sustainability glossary as comprehensive as possible covering key terms across environmental, social, and economic domains. Let me know if you would like me to explain or expand on any definitions further!