Regenerative agriculture & carbon market Glossary

Carbon sequestration, also known as carbon capture, is the process of absorbing and storing carbon (CO₂) from the atmosphere in soils, forests and oceans.

Permaculture, a concept for agriculture and horticulture, is based on the imitation of ecosystems and natural cycles. The core idea of permaculture is the reduction or replacement of energy-intensive, environmentally damaging industrial technologies in agriculture.

Organic farming, also known as ecological agriculture, is an agricultural production system based on the promotion of biodiversity, the cycling of nutrients, natural pest control and the preservation of soil fertility.

Humus is a dark organic soil layer that forms in the soil through the decomposition of plant and animal material by microorganisms. It plays a crucial role in soil health and fertility, improves water retention and soil structure and binds carbon in the soil.

Carbon farming is an approach that aims to increase the carbon content of agricultural soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

CAP stands for Common European Agricultural Policy and aims to promote a crisis-proof agricultural sector, guarantee the income security of European farmers, support environmental and climate protection and promote the development of rural areas.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the United Nations' 17 sustainability goals to tackle global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and environmental degradation.

The compliance carbon market is an instrument for achieving climate targets by creating a financial incentive for companies to reduce their emissions.

The Voluntary Carbon Market is a market for CO₂ certificates that enables private individuals and companies to offset their CO₂ emissions on a voluntary basis.

Carbon offsetting is a mechanism that enables companies and private individuals to offset their CO₂ emissions by purchasing CO₂ certificates on the voluntary carbon market.

Insetting refers to the reduction of emissions within the company's own value chain.

A carbon credit is a mechanism by which one party (company, organization, individual) can compensate another for the reduction, avoidance or removal of carbon, with one certificate representing one tonne of CO2.

Net-zero aims to achieve a balance between man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are released into the atmosphere and those that are removed from it. The main objective is to ensure that the total emissions released do not exceed the amount that is removed from the atmosphere.

Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are solutions based on the use of ecosystems and natural processes to tackle societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and water and air pollution.

Greenwashing refers to the practice whereby companies convey a false or incomplete impression of their supposedly environmentally friendly products through advertising and marketing strategies.

Decarbonization refers to the process of reducing or eliminating man-made CO₂ emissions. By reducing emissions, decarbonization makes a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and Net Zero.

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is a key concept for sustainable entrepreneurship that evaluates companies in terms of environmental and social responsibility as well as ethical corporate governance.