Sustainable Development Glossary

The variety of life at all levels of biological organization, including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

A market-based regulatory system in which a government sets a limit (cap) on total emissions and issues tradable permits to emitters.

Achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing emissions produced with an equivalent amount removed or offset.

A levy on fossil fuels based on their carbon content, designed to internalize the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions.

The maximum population or activity level that an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely without degrading its resource base.

An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources through reuse, sharing, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling.

A self-regulating business model in which a company integrates social and environmental concerns into its operations and stakeholder interactions.

A measure of the biologically productive area needed to supply a population's resource consumption and absorb its waste.

A systematic process of evaluating the likely environmental effects of a proposed project or development before it is carried out.

A hypothesized relationship showing environmental degradation first rising and then falling as a country's per-capita income increases.

A set of non-financial criteria used by investors and analysts to evaluate corporate behavior and sustainability risks.

An unintended cost or benefit of an economic activity that affects parties not directly involved in the transaction.

A fixed-income instrument whose proceeds are earmarked exclusively for projects that deliver positive environmental outcomes.

Financial products and services directed toward environmentally sustainable investments, including green bonds and ESG-focused funds.

The practice of making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product, service, or company to appear more sustainable than it actually is.

The principle of fairness between present and future generations in the use of resources and environmental stewardship.

A method for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product or process throughout its entire life span, from raw-material extraction to disposal.

The stock of natural resources—such as forests, water, soil, and minerals—that provides ecosystem services and supports economic activity.

Nine scientifically identified Earth-system thresholds that define a safe operating space for human civilization.

The principle that when an activity threatens harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established.

The capacity of a social-ecological system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while retaining essentially the same function and structure.

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Seventeen interconnected global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

A situation in which individuals, acting independently and rationally according to self-interest, deplete a shared limited resource against the collective good.

A framework measuring organizational success across three dimensions: social (people), environmental (planet), and financial (profit).