CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility): A company policy that includes responsibility to society and the environment in addition to financial performance.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance): Metrics for measuring a company’s sustainability and ethical impact.
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): 17 goals adopted by the United Nations to improve sustainable development by 2030.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): Certification system for assessing the sustainability of buildings.
COP (Conference of the Parties): Annual conference where countries that have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meet.
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change): An international agreement to manage climate change.
RE (Renewable Energy): Energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, water, and geothermal.
SRI (Socially Responsible Investing): Investments that consider environmental, social, and governance factors.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization): An independent organization that develops and publishes international standards, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management.
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment): EU directive for the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled): Materials that have been recycled after the end of the product’s useful life.
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment): Methodology for assessing the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to final disposal.
LCC (Life Cycle Costing): Analysis of the total costs of a product over its entire lifecycle, including production, use, maintenance, and disposal costs.
VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds): Chemical compounds that easily evaporate and can contribute to air pollution.
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals): EU regulation for protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by chemicals.
RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances): EU directive that restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet): Document containing information about the safety, health, and environmental use of chemical substances.
EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility): Policy requiring manufacturers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially for take-back, recycling, and final disposal.
GWP (Global Warming Potential): Metric for evaluating the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming compared to carbon dioxide.
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration): Document providing transparent and comparable information about the environmental impacts of a product based on a lifecycle assessment.
EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety): Management area focusing on protecting the environment, human health, and workplace safety.
GHG (Greenhouse Gases): Gases that contribute to global warming, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Organization that helps companies and cities disclose their environmental impact and carbon reduction measures.
UNGC (United Nations Global Compact): Initiative to encourage sustainable and socially responsible business practices globally.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method): Standard for assessing the sustainability of buildings
Sustainability abbreviation glossary