COP27: Climate talk words you need to know

1.5 degree

The countries that came together for the Paris Agreement also pledged to make efforts to keep temperature rise below 1.5 °C to avoid the devastating effects of climate change. Although the world is likely to rise by 2.7°C, even if all the promises made so far are fulfilled.

CBDR

The Kyoto Accords mention “common but differentiated responsibility”. The theory says that rich countries that produced more emissions in the past should take the lead in tackling climate change.

circular economy

It is an economy where materials are reused, repaired, refurbished and recycled for as long as possible to increase the lifespan of the products.

clean energy

The term is seen as synonymous with renewable energy but it is not convincing. Renewable energy comes from natural resources such as wind or solar while clean energy includes nuclear and carbon capture technologies.

climate adaptation

It is a way of modifying social and economic policies to take into account the adverse effects of climate change.

climate finance

Rich countries agreed in 2009 to contribute $100 billion each year together by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate the effects of global warming. The target is still not met and was extended in 2015 to achieve it by 2025.

climate mitigation

These are efforts made to dodge the devastating effects of climate change by adopting renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, etc.

Glasgow Agreement

The agreement was signed last year at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The agreement is seen as a breakthrough among climate activists, world leaders and diplomats, to mention the phasing out of fossil fuels for the first time in a climate deal.

green finance

The idea of ​​moving capital from sustainable sectors such as fossil fuels to sustainable sectors such as renewable energy. It has been a thorny topic at summits that have led to a rift between rich countries and developing countries, whose economies rely on fossil fuels.

bus transition

The term is defined as a shift to a low-carbon economy to reduce the disruption of moving away from fossil fuels.

loss and damage

Developing countries insist on an agreed basis to assess liability and calculate compensation for losses and damages caused by climate change.

NDC

Nationally determined contributions are commitments that countries make individually to reduce their carbon emissions. Countries will update them every five years and all signatories have submitted new pledges in Glasgow.

net zero

These are the goal of reducing carbon emissions to near zero for companies and countries around the world by switching from highly polluting coal-fired plants to renewable energy methods.

Paris Agreement

Adopted at COP 21 in Paris in 2015, the agreement entered into force in November 2016. The ultimate aim of this agreement is to limit global warming to below 2 °C. This long-term temperature target is a historic moment because it brought 196 parties to a common cause, which was to reduce the greenhouse gases responsible for warming the planet’s atmosphere to become climate-neutral by mid-century.

SDG

The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 countries in 2015. The SDGs are a set of objectives related to the eradication of poverty, the protection of the environment, and world peace and prosperity.