Understanding Carbon: 12 Key Terms You Need to Know

As climate change accelerates, understanding carbon terminology is more important than ever. From carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon credits, a growing set of terms defines both environmental and business strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Cindy Turner of SAS Blogs highlights 12 essential carbon concepts. Individuals, businesses, and governments all have a carbon footprint, measuring the lifetime emissions associated with activities or products. Efforts to achieve carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions aim to balance or eliminate these outputs. Businesses are increasingly using carbon labels to communicate the environmental impact of products to conscious consumers.

Other key terms include carbon pools, sinks, and stock, which describe how carbon is stored and removed from the atmosphere, as well as carbon credits and offsets, which allow organizations to trade or neutralize emissions. Carbon budgets and carbon taxes are tools to quantify and manage emissions, while carbon markets create financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gases.

SAS has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise. Understanding these terms is not only crucial for sustainability but also for navigating emerging business and financial risks tied to climate change.

For anyone looking to engage with the climate conversation or make informed business decisions, mastering these carbon terms is a first step toward a more sustainable future.