Glossary

Biodiversity
The variety of plant and animal life that make up our natural world or a particular habitat.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)
The equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that would produce the same amount of global warming over a 100 year timescale. 

Carbon Store
The amount of carbon stored in the natural environment such as soil, woodland, peatland etc. These may also be described as carbon sinks. 

Climate Change Adaptation
Actions to help organisations and communities to prepare for the impacts of climate change. 

Climate Change Mitigation
Actions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and therefore help to prevent further climate change. 

Council Assets
Buildings and land owned by Flintshire County Council.

Decarbonisation
Reducing the carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of an activity or service or wider organization.

Direct Emissions
Emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from sources that are owned or controlled by an organization such as burning natural gas in boilers, burning petrol in owned company vehicles etc. 

Green Infrastructure
A catch-all term to describe the network of natural and semi-natural features within and between our villages, towns and cities. These features range in scale, from street trees, green roofs and private gardens through to parks, rivers and woodlands. At the larger scale, wetlands, forests and agricultural land are all captured by the term. 

Indirect Emissions
Emissions of greenhouse gases that are a consequence of the activities of the organization but occur at sources owned/controlled by another organization. 

Lifecycle Assessment
This is a cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle analysis technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, which is from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, us and disposal. 

Net Zero Carbon
Emissions of greenhouse gases are balanced by the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere such as by trees, peatland and carbon capture and storage technologies. 

Offsetting
A reduction in GHG emissions (e.g. wind turbines replacing coal) or an increase in carbon storage/GHG removal enhancement (tree planting, peatland restoration) outside of the GHG emissions boundary of an organisation that is used to compensate GHG emissions occurring within the organisation’s boundary

Scope 1/2/3
Used to delineate direct and indirect emission sources to improve transparency and provide utility for organisations and climate policies.

Scope 1 refers to direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization.

Scope 2 refers to indirect greenhouse gas emissions produced from the electricity used by an organization.

Scope 3 refers to all other indirect greenhouse gas emissions produced from the activities of an organization. 

Sequestration
Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then storing it, usually through environmental processes such as photosynthesis, absorption by soil, oceans etc. 

Welsh Public Sector Net Zero Carbon Reporting Guide
In response to Welsh Government’s target of a carbon neutral public sector by 2030 a new Welsh GHG emissions reporting system has been developed whereby public sector organisations will report their GHG emissions annually to Welsh Government. Detailed guidance has been provided to support organisations in their calculations.