Technical glossary of GHG, carbon and monitoring

Gases that absorb infrared radiation in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.

In corporate inventories, emissions from different gases are converted to a common unit (tCO₂e) using each gas's global warming potential.

A unit that expresses the climate impact of any greenhouse gas as an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide, using the gas's global warming potential.

It allows emissions from different gases to be added into a single figure. The conversion factor depends on the IPCC publication adopted and the time horizon considered.

Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization, such as combustion in owned equipment, company vehicles, industrial processes and fugitive emissions.

Indirect emissions associated with energy purchased and consumed by the organization, mainly electricity, steam, heating and cooling.

The GHG Protocol requires reporting under both the location-based and market-based methods when applicable.

Other indirect value-chain emissions, upstream and downstream, that the organization influences but does not control, divided into fifteen categories by the GHG Protocol.

It often represents the largest share of emissions and the greatest uncertainty because it depends heavily on third-party data.

A structured accounting of an organization's greenhouse gas emissions over a defined period, organized by source and scope under a recognized methodology.

A coefficient that converts activity data, such as litres of fuel or kWh consumed, into the corresponding amount of emissions. It has a value, unit, source and reference year.

The set of procedures supporting an emissions reduction or removal claim: monitor variables defined by the methodology, report them in the required format and submit the results to independent verification.

The reference scenario describing what would happen in the absence of the project. Credits correspond to the difference between this projected scenario and the result actually measured.

Evidence that an emissions reduction or removal occurs because of the carbon project. If the outcome would happen anyway, it is not additional and does not generate eligible credits.

Displacement of an emissions-causing activity outside the project boundary, reducing the net climate benefit and therefore requiring estimation and deduction from the result.

The ability of removed or avoided carbon to remain out of the atmosphere over time. In forest projects, reversal risk is commonly mitigated through a buffer pool of withheld credits.

A mechanism that credits emissions reductions from avoided deforestation and forest degradation, while also covering conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of carbon stocks.

A project category that increases carbon stocks by establishing or restoring woody vegetation in areas where it is currently absent.

A set of observations of the same area over time, processed consistently so that observed variation reflects real change on the ground rather than a change in method.

An index calculated from red and near-infrared reflectance that responds to the vigour and density of photosynthetically active vegetation.

It can indicate cover change but does not directly measure biomass or carbon stock; it saturates in dense vegetation and responds to seasonal variation.