Climate change jargon: 8 terms you need to know

The document translates complex IPCC terminology into everyday language to help the public follow climate change news. It defines key concepts such as mitigation, adaptation, and carbon neutrality, while highlighting the urgency of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and the risks associated with climate tipping points.

• The guide defines 'mitigation' as human interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase sinks, such as transitioning from coal-fired power plants to solar and wind power, improving energy efficiency in buildings and vehicles, and protecting forests.
• Adaptation involves adjusting human and natural systems to live with the effects of climate change, with examples including planting trees in Los Angeles for cooling and constructing sea walls in Miami to protect against floods.
• Carbon neutrality, also known as net-zero carbon dioxide emission, is achieved when human-caused CO2 emissions are balanced by removals. The IPCC indicates the world must reach this state by 2050 to prevent a serious climate crisis.
• A 'tipping point' is a critical threshold where a system reorganizes abruptly and cannot return to its initial state. A primary example is the potential collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which could raise global sea levels by approximately 11 feet (3.3 meters).
• The document describes an 'unprecedented transition' as the rapid, large-scale shift to renewable energy, such as wind and solar, to meet the 2015 global agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

APA

de Bruin, W. B. (2021). Climate change jargon: 8 terms you need to know. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/guide-to-climate-change-jargon-experts-mitigation-carbon-neutral-key-terms/

Chicago

de Bruin, Wändi Bruine. Climate change jargon: 8 terms you need to know. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/guide-to-climate-change-jargon-experts-mitigation-carbon-neutral-key-terms/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Bruin |first1=Wändi Bruine |title=Climate change jargon: 8 terms you need to know |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=4 November 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/guide-to-climate-change-jargon-experts-mitigation-carbon-neutral-key-terms/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{debruin2021climate, author = {de Bruin, Wändi Bruine}, title = {{Climate change jargon: 8 terms you need to know}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/guide-to-climate-change-jargon-experts-mitigation-carbon-neutral-key-terms/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }