Klim Glossary

CO2 is the chemical formula for the molecule carbon dioxide, which consists of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.

The term CO2 budget or carbon budget refers to the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that can be emitted in order to stay within a threshold of global warming (such as limiting the rise in global surface temperatures to 1.5°C as set out by the Paris Agreement).

The Carbon Disclosure Project is an independent and non-commercial organization founded in 2020.

Carbon credits are permits, which allow the holder of the permit to emit one ton of carbon dioxide or one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.

There is a continuous, natural exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, water bodies, living organisms, rocks and soil. However, anthropogenic activities such burning fossil fuels, forest clearing, and intensive land cultivation negatively impact this cycle by releasing too much CO2 into the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide equivalent is a measure used to compare the different greenhouse gas emissions based on their global warming potential (i.e., the amount of time of a greenhouse gas remains active in the atmosphere, calculated over a period of 100 years).

The carbon footprint provides a measuring unit of the amount of CO2 emissions that a person, company or organization produces in a given period of time.

The carbon market refers to the market on which carbon credits/carbon certificates can be purchased and sold, also called carbon trading.

Carbon markets are a market-based instrument for reducing CO2 emissions.

Carbon offsetting consists of any activity or processes that seek to compensate for the emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, by participating in programs that reduce emissions elsewhere (e.g., through regenerative agriculture).

A variety of carbon standards exist including the Gold Standard, Verra Standard & TÜV Standard, which set guidelines and principles for a variety of carbon offsetting projects and provide a transparent and credible certification for them. Find out more under carbon offsetting.

Carbon storage captures CO2 over the long term and thus reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

A carbon tax is a fee imposed on polluters such as companies and/or individuals that burn carbon-based fuels, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon trading is a market-based system and consists of buying and selling emission permits, with the permit holder being allowed to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide.

A catch crop is a fast-growing plant that is grown between two main crops.

Climate change refers to the long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns.

Climate change mitigation refers to the activities and processes to reduce emissions in order to address the issue of climate change at its source, being the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Climate neutrality refers to a state where the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is equal or lower than the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere. See also: net-zero.

Being climate positive refers to the process of removing and/or saving more greenhouse gas emissions than are being emitted into the atmosphere.

Climate resilience stands for the ability to withstand changes in the climate.

Climate targets encompass all the targets and goals that a company and/or government sets itself, in order to promote climate mitigation.

Compost is dead organic matter that has gone through the rotting process.

Compost tea effectively increases the lifespan of soil.

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR for short, is the social responsibility of companies as part of promoting sustainable business.

In agriculture, a cover crop or main crop is a type of crop (i.e. winter cereals), under whose protection a later developing second crop (i.e. grass species) is sown as undersow.

Crop rotation refers to the chronological sequence of the cultivated crops.