Acronym Page

List of ESG related terms

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# Acronym Expansion Short Description
1 2DII 2° Investing Initiative An independent, non-profit think tank that coordinates some of the world’s largest research projects on sustainable finance.
2 3Ps People Planet Profits The phrase, "people, planet, and profit" to describe the triple bottom line and the goal of sustainability, was coined by John Elkington in 1994 while at SustainAbility.
3 AFOLU Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use It is estimated that agriculture, forestry, and other land use activities (AFOLU) combined are responsible for 22% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
4 AR Assessment Report (ARx) Typically associated with IPCC Reports, like AR6
5 ASI Avoid-Shift-Improve An approach to environmental sustainability that seeks to increase efficiency by modifying consumer behaviour.
6 BECCS Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage BECCS involves capturing and permanently storing CO2 from processes where biomass is converted into fuels or directly burned to generate energy.
7 CAIT Climate Analysis Indicators Tool CAIT provides a comprehensive and comparable database of greenhouse gas emissions data (including all major sources and sinks) and other climate-relevant indicators.
8 CBCA Consumption-based Carbon Accounting Calculated based on the “embodied” emissions that are associated with the production (PBCA), transport and sale of a good.
9 CBCF Consumption-based Carbon Footprint (accounting) see CBCA
10 CCAC Climate and Clean Air Coalition Aims to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) aims to catalyze rapid reductions in short-lived climate pollutants to protect human health, agriculture and the environment.
11 CCS Carbon capture and storage CCS technologies have faced criticism in the past, but the IPCC has concluded that CCS will be a necessary part to bring global carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050.
12 CCUS Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from large point sources such as power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities, or the removal of existing CO2 from the atmosphere.
13 CDIAC Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre CDIAC was an organization within the United States Department of Energy that had the primary responsibility for providing the US government and research community with global warming data and analysis.
14 CDP Carbon Disclosure Project A not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.
15 CDSB Climate Disclosure Standards Board The World Economic Forum’s reporting standards-setting body, since absorbed by the ISSB.
16 CE Circular Economy A model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
17 CFCs Chlorofluorocarbons CFCs are nontoxic, but destroy the ozone layer. The chemicals contain atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used to manufacture aerosol sprays.
18 CGTP Combined global temperature change potential A metric which allows short-and long-lived pollutants to be evaluated on a temperature basis
19 CH4 Methane Methane is a chemical compound with the formula CH4 i.e. one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms.
20 CNGP Carbon Neutral Government Programme CNGP has been set up to accelerate the reduction of emissions within the public sector. The Government will join businesses and communities already leading the way to reduce their emissions as we transition to a low-emissions economy.
21 CO2e Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Means the number of metric tons of CO2 emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another greenhouse gas
22 COP Conference of Parties A COP is the supreme governing body of an international convention (treaty, written agreement between actors in international law). It is composed of representatives of the member states of the convention and accredited observers.
23 CREs Climate Reporting Entities (NZ) The new law will require around 200 large financial institutions, organisations are known as Climate Reporting Entities, covered by the FMC Act to start making climate-related disclosures.
24 CRREM Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor The Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor is a research and innovation project that defines science-based decarbonization pathways for the commercial and residential real estate sectors in order to manage transition risks and align with Paris targets.
25 CSA S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. It covers over 10,000 companies from around the world.
26 CSR Corporate Social Responsibility A company's commitment to conduct its business ethically and sustainably, taking into account the interests of its stakeholders
27 CSRD Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive The European Union’s principal set of rules governing non-financial companies ESG disclosures
28 CoC Chain of Custody Chain of Custody (CoC) offers a way to trace, verify, document and aggregate the history, location and application of every item in the whole supply chain, to assure the sustainability credentials of the final product.
29 DAC Direct Air Capture DAC technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere at any location, unlike carbon capture which is generally carried out at the point of emissions, such as a steel plant.
30 DACCS Direct air carbon capture and storage see DAC
31 DJF December January February (see also JJA) Winter (northern hemisphere) or Summer (southern Hem.) periods typically with the highest or lowest rainfall.
32 ECM Energy Conservation Measure It reduces the energy consumption of a particular piece of equipment or a certain aspect of essential building services to reduce overall building energy use.
33 EEIO Environmentally-extended input-output (factors) These factors are developed using MRIO modeling, which can account for upstream supply chain activities and production.
34 EFRAG European Financial Reporting Advisory Group A private association which provides technical advice to the European Commission and is developing the sustainability standards
35 EPPA Economic Projection and Policy Analysis The EPPA model provides projections of world economic development at a regional and sectoral level, including the economic implications of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, conventional air pollution, land-use change, food demand, and natural resource
36 ESG Environment Social Governance 3 key topics that companies are expected to report on
37 ESRS European Sustainability Reporting Standards ESRS apply to all companies within the scope of CSRD.
38 ETSAP Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program ETSAP is actively cooperating to establish, maintain, and expand a consistent multi-country analytical capability related to energy, economy, environment and engineering.
39 FPS Forecast Policy Scenario FPS models the impact of the forecasted policies on the real economy up to 2050, tracing detailed effects on all emitting sectors, including changes to energy demand, transport, food prices, crop yields, and of deforestation.
40 GEM-E3 General Equilibrium Model for Economy-Energy Environment GEM-E3 is a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model that covers the interactions between the economy, the energy system and the environment. It is especially designed to evaluate energy, climate and environmental policies.
41 GHG Greenhouse gas Greenhouse gases (also known as GHGs) are gases in the earth's atmosphere that trap heat.
42 GRI Global Reporting Initiative The most common sustainability reporting standards used worldwide by companies.
43 IAMs Integrated Assessment Models IAMs is a type of scientific modelling that tries to link main features of society and economy with the biosphere and atmosphere into one modelling framework.
44 ICE Internal Combustion Engine IC engine is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber
45 IEA International Energy Agency The IEA works with countries around the world to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future.
46 IEMA Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment A global professional body of over 20,000 individuals and 300 organisations working, studying or interested in the environment and sustainability.
47 IGCC Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle IGCC is a technology using a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into synthesis gas (syngas)
48 IIRC International Integrated Reporting Committee (see IFRS) IIRC is an international cross section of leaders from the corporate, investment, accounting, securities, regulatory, academic and standard-setting sectors as well as civil society.
49 IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change An intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities.
50 ISSB International Sustainability Standards Board The IFRS Foundation standards-setting body, which is seeking to bring global harmony to the patchwork of reporting standards.
51 JJA June July August (see also DJF) Winter (southern hemisphere) or Summer (northern Hem.) periods typically with the highest or lowest rainfall.
52 LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building certification program used worldwide.
53 LUCAS Land Use and Carbon Analysis System LUCAS is a cover classification designed for Kyoto Protocol reporting responsibilities. It includes 12 land-use classes.
54 LULUCF Land-use, land-use change and forestry Defined as a greenhouse gas inventory sector that covers emissions and removals of greenhouse gases resulting from direct human-induced land use such as settlements and commercial uses, land-use change, and forestry activities.
55 LUM Land Use Modelling The model tracks multiple parameters, including changes in land use, land management, agricultural production, nutrient losses, sediment and GHG emissions
56 MARKAL MARKet and ALlocation (see TIMES) MARKAL is a numerical model used to carry out economic analysis of different energy related systems at the country level to represent its evolution over a period of usually of 40–50 years.
57 MESM MIT Earth System Model MESM comprises coupled sub-models of physical, dynamical and chemical processes in the atmosphere, land and freshwater systems, ocean and cryosphere.
58 NDCs Nationally Determined Contributions National plans to reduce carbon emissions, lodged in according to the Paris Agreement.
59 NEMS National Energy Modeling System NEMS is an energy-economy modeling system of U.S. energy markets for the period extending through 2050.
60 NETs Negative emission technologies NETs also known as Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) technologies, usually carbon dioxide.
61 NFRD Non-Financial Reporting Directive EU's strategy to encourage corporate social responsibility.
62 NGCC Natural Gas Combined Cycle NGCC which captures the exhaust heat generated by combusting natural gas to power a steam generator, are considered the most efficient large-scale thermal power plants (efficiency between 45% and 57%)
63 NGFS Network for Greening the Financial System A network of 114 central banks and financial supervisors that aims to accelerate the scaling up of green finance and develop recommendations for central banks' role for climate change.
64 NZRI Net Zero Readiness Index NZRI compares the progress of 32 countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and assesses their ability to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
65 ODYM Open Dynamic Material Systems Model Models that span many years (historic and future) and where different products, components, sub-components, materials, alloys, waste, and chemical elements need to be traced simultaneously.
66 PACTA Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment PACTA compares what needs to happen in climate-relevant sectors in order to minimize global temperature rises with financial institutions’ exposure to companies in these sectors.
67 PCAF Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) PCAF established a global standardized framework to measure and manage GHG emissions from private and public sector operations. It also includes a data quality scale from 5 (lowest certainty / lowest score) to 1 (highest certainty)
68 PRI Principles for Responsible Investment United Nations-supported guidelines for sustainable capital allocation.
69 RCP Representative Concentration Pathway The RCPs try to capture future trends. They make predictions of how concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will change in future as a result of human activities.
70 REC Renewable Energy Certificate (or Credit) Certificates are issued when one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity is generated and delivered to the electricity grid from a renewable energy resource.
71 RECC Resource efficiency climate change RECC mitigation model framework is a step towards the interdisciplinary scientific assessment of material efficiency and its links to service provision, material cycle management, and climate policy.
72 SBTi Science Based Targets (initiative) Defines and promotes best practices in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science
73 SDG Sustainable Development Goals Also known as the 17 Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
74 SER Sufficiency Efficiency Renewable Sufficiency policies are a set of measures and daily practices that avoid demand for energy, materials, land and water while delivering human wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries”. Sufficiency applies to every aspect of society.
75 SLCF Short-lived climate forcer A set of chemically and physically reactive compounds with atmospheric lifetimes typically shorter than two decades
76 SLCP Short-lived climate pollutant Powerful climate forcers that remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time than carbon dioxide (CO2), yet their potential to warm the atmosphere can be many times greater.
77 SPM Summary for Policymakers Typically in the context of IPCC Special reports
78 SR1.5 Special Report 1.5 Degrees IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change.
79 SRES Special Report on Emissions Scenarios SRES scenarios include the range of emissions of all relevant species of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and sulfur and their driving forces
80 SRI Socially Responsible Investing An investment approach that seeks to generate financial returns while considering social and environmental factors.
81 STARS Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System A self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
82 STEPS Stated Energy Policies scenario STEPS explores where the energy system might go without a major additional steer from policy makers. It is not designed to achieve a particular outcome.
83 TCFD Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures A framework to provide comparable and consistent information to the market so that investors and other actors can make informed investment decisions.
84 TCR The Climate Registry The Climate Registry is a non-profit organization governed by U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories.
85 TIMES The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System The TIMES model generator combines two different, but complementary, systematic approaches to modelling energy: a technical engineering approach and an economic approach.
86 TNFD Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures a global initiative which aims to give financial institutions and companies a complete picture of their environmental risks.
87 ULEV Ultra low emission vehicles A motor vehicle that uses low carbon technologies, such as a battery electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a fuel cell powered by hydrogen
88 UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNEP is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system.
89 UNFCCC The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
90 UNGC United Nations Global Compact The UN Global Compact supports companies in: doing business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
91 US DOE United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power
92 US EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970
93 V2G Vehicle-to-Grid A technology that enables energy to be pushed back to the power grid from the battery of an electric vehicle (EV). With V2G technology, an EV battery can be discharged based on different signals — such as energy production or consumption nearby.
94 WARM Waste Reduction Model (EPA) EPA created the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) to provide high-level estimates of potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, energy savings, and economic impacts from several different waste management practices.
95 WEO World Energy Outlook (IEA) It provides critical analysis and insights on trends in energy demand and supply, and what they mean for energy security, environmental protection and economic development.
96 WTE Waste To Energy The process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source.
97 WWF World Wide Fund for Nature WWF's conservation work, includes not only species, but also habitats and the reversal of environmental degradation
98 tCO2e Metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent See CO2e