Anthropogenic: Originating in human activity, particularly in relation to environmental change.
Audit (Environmental Audit): A systematic, documented verification process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether specified environmental activities, events, conditions, management systems, or information about these matters conform to audit criteria.

Biodiversity: The variety and variability of life on Earth, which is typically considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Biodegradable: Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoiding pollution.

Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions.
Circular Economy: An economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. This regenerative approach contrasts with the traditional linear economy, which has a 'take, make, dispose' model of production.

Decarbonization: The process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources, thus achieving a lower output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Divestment: The action or process of selling off subsidiary business interests or investments, typically as part of a corporate strategy of disposing of less profitable or distracting business units.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance): Referring to the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a company or business.
Eco-efficiency: Achieving economic efficiency by reducing ecological damage, thus maximizing resource productivity while minimizing waste production and pollution.

Fair Trade: A social movement whose stated goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainable farming.
Footprint (Environmental Footprint): A measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to supply the resources a human population consumes.

Greenwashing: Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.
Green Bonds: Bonds specifically earmarked to be used for climate and environmental projects.

Habitat Conservation: A management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species.
Hybrid Vehicles: Vehicles that use two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged.

Impact Investing: Investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.
ISO 14001: Part of the family of standards relating to environmental management that exists to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment (i.e., cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): The assessment of the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle from the extraction of raw materials through to its disposal.

Net-Zero Emissions: Achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
Natural Capital: The world's stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things.

Renewable Energy: Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.
Responsible Sourcing: The process of ensuring the materials used in products are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process.

Sustainability Reporting: The practice of measuring, disclosing, and being accountable to internal and external stakeholders for organizational performance towards the goal of sustainable development.
Social License to Operate (SLO): The ongoing acceptance of a company or industry's standard business practices and operating procedures by its employees, stakeholders, and the general public.

Triple Bottom Line (TBL): A business accounting framework that incorporates three dimensions of performance: social, environmental, and financial. This differs from traditional reporting frameworks as it includes ecological and social measures that can be difficult to assign appropriate means of measurement.

UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals): A collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. These goals are broad and interdependent, yet each has a separate list of targets to achieve.

Waste Minimization: The process and the policy of reducing the amount of waste produced by a person or a society.