08:30, 24 June 2025
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
London Climate Action Week kicks off and we want to set the record straight and help you understand the frilly climate-related jargon that you’ll be hearing this week, or will help you better understand the news.
Here are commonly used words and phrases that you need to know for climate action!
London Climate Action Week kicks off and we want to set the record straight and help you understand the frilly climate-related jargon that you’ll be hearing this week, or will help you better understand the news.
Here are commonly used words and phrases that you need to know for climate action!
Eco in name only.
Greenwashing is when a company looks sustainable without being. It’s the supermarket that shouts about plastic-free fruit wrapping, while still flying in produce from halfway around the world, or a fashion brand having a single sustainable line while most of their clothing is fast fashion. It’s the airline that plants trees to distract from soaring emissions. In short: slick marketing masking business as usual. And the public is getting wise to it.
The annual climate summit that steers the worldwide climate conversation.
Each year, countries meet under the United Nations banner at COP, short for Conference of the Parties, to agree on global action on climate change. From the landmark Paris Agreement at COP21 to the tense pledges of COP28, it’s where diplomacy meets data. Progress is often slow, but it’s one of the few spaces where the whole world comes to the table to discuss what they can do for the planet.
Profit meets purpose.
A B Corp (or Benefit Corporation) is a business certified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance. It’s a growing movement of companies that believe in using business as a force for good – not just profit. From ethical fashion brands to purpose-led banks, B Corps aim to prove that doing good can also be good business.
When companies try to do the right thing.
CSR is the umbrella term for how companies manage their impact on society and the environment. It covers everything from reducing emissions to improving workplace conditions. At its best, CSR leads to real, long-term change. At its worst, it’s a tick-box exercise. Increasingly, consumers and employees are demanding more substance from the companies they give their monies to. It is important to mention that CSR doesn’t have to be a just what a company does on the inside, it could also include sponsoring charity events or seeing how they can give back in any way.
Balancing carbon books — but not cutting the cheques just yet.
To be carbon neutral is to measure your emissions and then offset them, usually by funding projects that remove or reduce carbon elsewhere — like planting trees or investing in clean energy. It’s a start, but critics warn that it can delay meaningful cuts in emissions, giving polluters a free pass to keep polluting.
The endgame for emissions.
Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, and using carbon offsets only for what can’t be avoided. It’s not about paying your way out, it’s about rethinking how we power our lives, transport our goods, and heat our homes. It’s the end goal of climate policy which strives towards being in a world that we sustainably offset as much as we produce - in effect not having any negative impact on the environment.
Paying to undo the damage — sort of.
Carbon offsetting allows individuals or companies to invest in environmental projects that absorb or reduce emissions, as a way to compensate for their own carbon footprint. Think funding a wind farm in India to balance a long-haul flight. Done well, it can support vital work. Done poorly, it’s just a licence to emit and could have more damage on the planet.
Sounds green — but context is everything.
Biodegradable means a material can break down naturally over time. But there’s a catch: sometimes this takes a long time or cannot be done safely. For some materials, like some biodegradable plastic, the right conditions need to be met for the intended purpose, which sometimes doesn’t make it to the users properly.
The global science authority on climate change.
The IPCC is the United Nations body responsible for assessing the science of climate change. Its reports are the most comprehensive reviews of current knowledge, combining input from thousands of scientists worldwide. When policymakers say they’re “following the science”, this is the science they mean.
Waste not, want not — by design.
The circular economy is a rethink of the traditional “take-make-dispose” model. Instead, it keeps resources in use for as long as possible, through reuse, repair, recycling and regeneration. Picture a phone designed to be easily repaired, or fashion that’s made to be resold, not binned. It’s about closing the loop and it’s key to a low-carbon future.
Understanding the language of climate change helps us hold companies and governments to account, as well as stay aware on how to take smarter action ourselves. If we’re going to build a sustainable future, it starts with cutting through the jargon.
For more terms (or to just generally expand your vocabulary), head over to the Climate Governance Initiative’s website or the RSPCB Website for more terms.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Greenpeace. This is a global independent non-profit that campaigns against the destruction of the natural world and to make a greener, healthier and more peaceful planet. Support them here.
Climate Emergency Fund (CEF). This is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organisation that supports climate change activist groups. Find out more.
Friends of the Earth. This is a UK-based network of organisations fighting for the future of our natural environment. The network is made up of various members with the same mission to protect both people and the planet. Learn more here.
