ISSP Terms Questions with Accurate Answers Graded A+

ISSP Terms Questions with Accurate Answers Graded A+ Aarhus Convention Entering into effect in 2001 among EU countries, and drafted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), this agreement guarantees the rights of individuals—independently and collectively—to live in "an environment adequate to his or her health and wellbeing." This includes the "rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters." ABCD Planning Method Awareness and Visioning Baseline Mapping Creative Solutions Decide on Priorities A tool of The Natural Step. This method is based on systems thinking, setting ambitious goals, and developing realistic strategies to achieve them. (pg 178) Brainpower Read More Previous Play Next Rewind 10 seconds Move forward 10 seconds Unmute 0:02 / 0:15 Full screen Adaptation This is a tool used to address negative social or environmental impacts, by developing new, more effective ways of functioning after change has occurred. Adaptive management or Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) A systematic process of continuous improvement where policies and practices are improved and adapted based on learning from previous outcomes. Additionality A term in the carbon offset market used to test if GHG reductions are a direct result of the project being sold. The activity or project cannot be legally required (or anticipated to be mandated in the near future). The financial and technological benefits must not be so great that the project would have happened anyway. This can be hard to prove and calculate. Agenda 21 A non-binding action plan for sustainable development adopted at the Earth Summit, it provided a wide-ranging blueprint to drive sustainable development around the world. Ambient air quality Measured at ground level, away from direct sources of pollution, this refers to the level of pollution found in outdoor air. Poor air quality is associated with heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory diseases and stroke. Annex 1 Parties The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change defines these entities as industrialized nations (previously OECD members) and economies in transition (EIT). These countries are taking on emissions reduction obligations. Anthropocene The proposed epoch in Earth's history that begins around the time of the Industrial Revolution when human activities began to have a significant impact on the Earth's geology and ecosystems. Anthropogenic The effect of human activity on climate change. Arab Spring Sparked by a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire in December of 2010, this refers to a period of uprising across the Arab world. Years of economic inequality, high unemployment, and political disenfranchisement came to a head when millions of Arab people protested and rioted, demanding political, social, and economic justice. B Corp Certification A certification scheme for a for-profit company whose mission aligns with creating a better society and has met the sustainability standards developed by B Lab. Their rigorous standards address social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Backcasting Unlike forecasting based on data about what has already happened, this planning approach begins with the end in mind. Central to The Natural Step framework, planners first envision the desired future state, and then build a strategy that will lead to the desired outcome. Balanced Scorecard A strategic framework used to align business practices with TBL goals, improve stakeholder communications, and monitor performance. Balancing loops These are also known as negative feedback loops, and have a stabilizing effect, creating resistance, eventually limiting growth or collapse. Base year In corporate GHG accounting, this is a specific year (or an average over multiple years) against which an organization's impacts are tracked over time. Baseline This term refers to emissions levels represented by the status-quo-ante in GHG Project Accounting. To evaluate project additionality (including GHG emissions reductions, removals, or storage), a project accountant develops various scenarios against this point in time. Benefit Corporation A legal entity that may (or may not) be a Certified B Corporation™. Directors of this corporate type are required by law to consider the impact of their actions on all stakeholders, rather than their stockholders alone. In most cases, they must publicly disclose their social and environmental performance, assessed against a 3rd-party standard. Bhopal chemical leak Occurring in December of 1984, this disaster took place at the Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) pesticide plant in central India. A half million people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. Biodiversity This term refers to the full range of life forms on Earth—their species, genetic, and ecological diversity. Biodynamic agriculture A holistic, ethical, and ecological approach to farming that strives to regenerate the soil and ecosystem. Biofuel A liquid fuel, derived from plant matter (biomass), which is used for transportation. There are three formulations: Ethanol, Biodiesel, Biogas. Biomimicry An approach to product design and innovation that emulates nature's patterns and strategies to find sustainable solutions to human challenges. Bioremediation Introducing microbes and other biological organisms to rehabilitate environmentally contaminated sites. Bottom of the Pyramid A business term used to describe four billion people who live in poverty and have been mostly un-served or underserved by the private sector. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these people are resilient entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers who can partner with business to eradicate poverty. BREEAM A TBL procurement, design, construction and operation assessment that evaluates a building construction project against performance benchmarks. Assessments are performed by independent auditors. Brundtland Commission Publisher of "Our Common Future" in 1987, the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development got its moniker from its Chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the ex-Prime Minister of Norway. Business model The business structure of an organization, its purpose and method of making money. CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Standards that set the average fuel economy for new vehicle that a manufacturer's fleet must achieve, originally established by the US Congress for cars and light trucks, in the 1970s, in response to the Arab oil embargo. In 2007 updated legislation raised the standards for cars, light trucks, and SUVs. Current standards must be met at maximum feasible levels through 2030. Cap and trade system An emissions trading scheme, whereby lower emitters sell permits to excessive emitters so they can stay within their regulatory emissions cap. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) A set of technologies used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it, long-term, deep underground. Designed to reduce the climate impact of gas- and coal-fired power plants. Carbon credits Instruments used to trade carbon emissions among parties in either the voluntary or compliance markets. Carbon cycle Carbon is the building block of life on Earth. When nature is in balance, carbon flows cyclically between each of the "spheres"—the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) Formed through cellular respiration, the decomposition of biomass, and combustion, excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. This is one of the greenhouse gases that nations are required to track under the Kyoto Protocol. According to the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) it has a global warming potential of 1. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) The universal unit of measurement expressing the global warming potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases. It is used to compare the radiative force of a GHG to CO2. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Also known as Carbon Engineering, this technology is used to counteract the greenhouse effect and ocean acidification by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Multiple technologies have been proposed, such as afforestation, biochar, carbon capture, and sequestration. Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Drives the disclosure of measurement information to improve the way companies manage their environmental risk over the long-term. They work with nearly 1,000 institutional investors to report Climate, Water, and Deforestation impacts, as well as, the performance of Supply Chains. In addition, their public sector program works with cities, states and regions to improve environmental performance. Carbon footprint The total GHG emissions from fossil fuel use. Carbon offsets A mechanism employed by businesses to meet their carbon reduction goals. Purchasing carbon credits equivalent to emissions generated by operations allows businesses to offset their impacts and meet their reduction goals.