100 Words Related to Climate Change

No.	Term	Definition
1.	1.5°C target	Limit warming to 1.5°C.
2.	2°C target	Limit warming to 2°C.
3.	Adaptation	Adjusting to climate impacts.
4.	Aerosol	Tiny airborne particles affecting climate.
5.	Afforestation	Planting forests on nonforest land.
6.	Albedo	Surface reflectivity of sunlight.
7.	Anaerobic digestion	Biogas from waste without oxygen.
8.	Anthropogenic	Caused by human activities.
9.	Arctic amplification	Faster warming in the Arctic.
10.	Atmospheric CO2	Carbon dioxide in the air.
11.	Biodiversity loss	Decline in species and ecosystems.
12.	Bioenergy	Energy from biological materials.
13.	Black carbon	Soot that warms atmosphere.
14.	Blue carbon	Coastal ecosystem carbon storage.
15.	Carbon budget	Remaining allowable emissions limit.
16.	Carbon capture	Trapping CO2 before release.
17.	Carbon footprint	Total greenhouse gas emissions.
18.	Carbon market	Trading emissions permits or credits.
19.	Carbon neutral	Net-zero carbon emissions balance.
20.	Carbon offset	Compensation for emissions elsewhere.
21.	Carbon pricing	Cost applied per unit emissions.
22.	Carbon sink	System absorbing more carbon than emits.
23.	Carbon tax	Tax on greenhouse gas emissions.
24.	Clean energy	Low-emission energy sources.
25.	Climate action	Steps to limit climate change.
26.	Climate anxiety	Distress about climate change.
27.	Climate finance	Funding for mitigation and adaptation.
28.	Climate model	Computer simulation of climate system.
29.	Climate resilience	Ability to withstand climate shocks.
30.	Climate risk	Potential harm from climate impacts.
31.	Climate sensitivity	Warming from doubled CO2.
32.	Cryosphere	Earth’s frozen water regions.
33.	Decadal variability	Natural climate shifts over decades.
34.	Decarbonization	Reducing carbon intensity of systems.
35.	Deforestation	Clearing forests, raising emissions.
36.	Desertification	Land degradation in dry areas.
37.	Drought	Prolonged lack of precipitation.
38.	Ecosystem services	Benefits nature provides people.
39.	El Niño	Pacific warming affecting weather patterns.
40.	Electrification	Switching end uses to electricity.
41.	Emission factor	Emissions per unit activity.
42.	Emissions trading	Cap-and-trade market for emissions.
43.	Energy efficiency	Using less energy for same output.
44.	Energy transition	Shift to low-carbon energy.
45.	Environmental justice	Fair treatment in environmental policy.
46.	Eutrophication	Nutrient overload harming waters.
47.	Extreme weather	Unusually severe weather events.
48.	Feedback loop	Process amplifying or reducing change.
49.	Fossil fuels	Coal, oil, and natural gas.
50.	Geoengineering	Large-scale climate intervention methods.
51.	Glacier retreat	Glaciers shrinking and receding.
52.	Global warming	Long-term rise in Earth temperature.
53.	Green bonds	Debt financing for green projects.
54.	Greenhouse effect	Heat trapped by atmospheric gases.
55.	Greenhouse gases	Gases that trap heat.
56.	Grid decarbonization	Cleaning electricity generation mix.
57.	Heat island	Urban areas warmer than surroundings.
58.	Heatwave	Extended period of extreme heat.
59.	Hydrogen (green)	Hydrogen made using renewable electricity.
60.	Ice sheet	Massive land-based ice cover.
61.	Indigenous knowledge	Traditional insights for land stewardship.
62.	IPCC	UN climate science assessment body.
63.	Jet stream	High-altitude winds shaping weather.
64.	Just transition	Fair shift to green economy.
65.	Keeling Curve	Record of rising atmospheric CO2.
66.	Kyoto Protocol	International treaty to cut emissions.
67.	Land use change	Human alteration of land cover.
68.	Life-cycle emissions	Emissions across a product’s lifetime.
69.	Loss and damage	Climate harms beyond adaptation.
70.	Low-carbon	Producing relatively few emissions.
71.	Methane	Potent greenhouse gas, CH4.
72.	Mitigation	Reducing emissions or enhancing sinks.
73.	Monsoon shift	Changes in seasonal rainfall patterns.
74.	Nationally Determined	Country climate pledges under Paris.
75.	Net zero	Emissions balanced by removals.
76.	Nitrous oxide	Greenhouse gas, N2O.
77.	Ocean acidification	Seawater pH lowering from CO2.
78.	Ocean heat content	Heat stored in the oceans.
79.	Ocean warming	Rising ocean temperatures.
80.	Overconsumption	Using resources beyond sustainable levels.
81.	Paris Agreement	Global pact to limit warming.
82.	Permafrost thaw	Frozen ground melting, releasing gases.
83.	PM2.5	Fine particles harmful to health.
84.	Policy pathway	Plan to meet climate targets.
85.	Radiative forcing	Change in Earth’s energy balance.
86.	Reforestation	Restoring forests on cleared land.
87.	Renewable energy	Energy from replenishing sources.
88.	Resilience planning	Preparing systems for climate impacts.
89.	Sea level rise	Increasing average ocean level.
90.	Sequestration	Long-term carbon storage.
91.	Sustainable aviation fuel	Lower-carbon fuel for aircraft.
92.	Sustainable transport	Low-emission mobility options.
93.	Tipping point	Threshold causing rapid system change.
94.	Transition risk	Risks from shifting to low-carbon.
95.	Tree line shift	Forest boundary moving with warming.
96.	UNFCCC	UN climate change framework treaty.
97.	Urban greening	Adding plants to cities.
98.	Vector-borne disease	Illness spread by insects.
99.	Voluntary carbon market	Non-mandated carbon credit trading.
100.	Vulnerability	Susceptibility to climate harm.