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Eco

The ABC of Sustainability

B

Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of ecosystems and habitat types, the range of species found in different environments, and the genetic diversity within species.

Biodiversity Loss

Biodiversity loss refers to the decline of wildlife on Earth due to human activities such as resource exploitation and land use changes. It includes the degradation of ecosystems, species extinction, and shrinking population sizes. Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss.

C

Carbon Footprint

The greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, company, organisation, service, or product over a specific period, such as a year. The scope of a carbon footprint—i.e. which emission sources are included—is defined case by case or according to calculation standards. In addition to carbon dioxide, other significant greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide are also included.

Carbon Handprint

A communication and marketing concept based on the idea that a company or other actor develops products and services that help its customers reduce their carbon footprint. When the customer adopts the product, their carbon footprint decreases. The carbon handprint of a product or service can be improved through mitigation measures such as enhancing energy efficiency, reducing material use, and extending product lifespan.

Carbon Neutrality

Carbon neutrality generally refers to a state where greenhouse gas emissions are no greater than the amount sequestered from the atmosphere into carbon sinks. The sequestration is typically assessed within a specific geographical area and over a defined period, usually one year.

Carbon Offset

Carbon offsetting generally refers to a market mechanism where an entity that produces emissions can purchase offset units from another party that implements emission-reducing projects. Through this exchange, the responsibility for emissions is transferred to the implementer of projects such as wind power, fuel-efficient stoves, or reforestation. Carbon offsetting is voluntary and unregulated.

Carbon Reservoir

In addition to the atmosphere, carbon is stored in several reservoirs on our planet, including the Earth’s crust, fossil fuel deposits, oceans, soil, and vegetation. In an old forest, the carbon stored in vegetation is typically large, whereas in a young forest it is small.

Carbon Sink

A carbon sink refers to the process of carbon being absorbed from the atmosphere into a carbon reservoir. A sink is the increase in the size of that reservoir.

Circular Economy

A circular economy is a production and consumption model that makes the best use of existing materials and products by borrowing, renting, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling. When a product reaches the end of its life cycle, the aim is to re-use its materials wherever possible, thus creating added value again. The opposite of the circular economy is the traditional, linear economic model, where products are manufactured, consumed and discarded.

Climate Crisis

The warming of the climate, caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activity. Greenhouse gas emissions result, for example, from the use of fossil fuels for electricity and heat production, as well as for transport fuels.

Climate Change Adaptation

Actions to prepare for and adapt to climate change and its impacts. In the Finnish Climate Act, adaptation also means actions to benefit from the impacts of climate change. Climate change leads to, for example, rising temperatures, increased precipitation, shorter snow cover periods, and reduced ground frost. These changes and their impacts must be considered, for instance, in the protection of cultural heritage and environments.

Cultural Dimension of Sustainable Development

Cultural sustainability is the fourth dimension of sustainable development. It involves preserving cultural heritage, enabling the development of cultures, and passing them on to future generations. Cultural sustainability also aims to promote intercultural cooperation, which requires respect for everyone’s rights.

E

Earth’s Ecological Carrying Capacity

The upper limit of stress that consumption, production, waste, and other human activities can place on nature. Exceeding this limit leads to environmental degradation, which quickly affects human well-being and livelihoods.

Ecological Compensation

Offsetting the degradation caused to species and habitats by improving their condition outside the area where the environmental harm occurs. Ecological compensation is considered only after harm has first been avoided, then minimised, and, where possible, the condition of affected species and habitats has been restored.

Economic Sustainability

Economic sustainability refers to balanced and qualitative growth that does not rely on long-term debt accumulation or depletion of resources. A sustainable economy is essential for the core functions of society. Economic policy that aims for sustainability over the long term creates favourable conditions for maintaining and enhancing national well-being. Economic sustainability also respects the limits of nature’s carrying capacity.

Ecosocial Education

Ecosocial education is a description of a sustainable culture pursued through human growth. It encompasses an understanding of human dependence on and impact on the environment, as well as rights and responsibilities towards the rest of nature. An ecosocially educated person emphasises fairness and equality and is holistically responsible towards other people and the natural world.

Ecological Footprint

The amount of land and water area required to produce the food, materials, and energy consumed by an individual or group, and to manage the resulting waste. The ecological footprint assesses the use of renewable natural resources in relation to their regeneration capacity. It is measured in global hectares (gha).

Ecological Sustainability

Ecological sustainability refers to maintaining biodiversity and the functionality and regenerative capacity of ecosystems, while adapting human economic and material activities to the limits of nature’s carrying capacity.

Ecological Sustainability Transition

The dismantling and rebuilding of societal functions to align with the conditions of ecological sustainability—that is, within the limits of environmental carrying capacity. The key to this transformation is a holistic approach, bringing about major changes in areas such as food production, housing, energy production and transport.

Ecosystem

A functional complex of organisms and non-living environments in a naturally unified area. The term is also used to describe networks of business, innovation, industry and data seeking shared interests.

Emission Reduction

A general term for the outcome of a mitigation measure. It refers to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by an activity, typically measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Emission reductions do not need to be certified. A certified emission reduction equivalent to one tonne of CO₂ is referred to as a climate unit.

Energy Efficiency

Promoting energy efficiency aims to reduce the amount of energy needed to produce services, outputs, and products. Improved energy efficiency reduces carbon dioxide emissions, lowers energy consumption, and generates cost savings.

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice concerns equality and equal rights in environmental policy and practice. It seeks to address systemic inequality that causes vulnerable groups to suffer the most from environmental harm. The movement supports inclusive decision-making processes where the voices of affected communities are heard and their needs prioritised in environmental planning and legislation.

Environmental Management

The organisation of work aimed at achieving ecological sustainability within an organisation. This includes, for instance, planning, resourcing, implementation, monitoring, and communication.

Environmental Management System

A digital tool, guideline, or set of criteria used to monitor, guide, and develop an organisation’s environmental impact and efforts. An environmental management system may be self-developed, freely available, or commercial.

Environmental Programme

A plan that guides an organisation’s environmental work. It typically includes an assessment of environmental impacts, key focus areas, goals, and actions. Many actors in the creative sectors have their own environmental programme or one developed jointly with others in the field. Instead of an “environmental programme,” the plan may also be called, for example, a climate, sustainability, or resource wisdom programme.

Environmental Work

An organisation’s goal-oriented and systematic efforts to achieve ecological sustainability. Environmental work may include actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or biodiversity loss.

G

Greenhouse Gas

An atmospheric gas that passes solar radiation, but absorbs thermal radiation from the Earth’s surface. Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, tropospheric ozone, nitrous oxide and F-gases. These gases cause the greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm. The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases caused by human activity leads to an intensification of the greenhouse effect, i.e. climate change.

H

Habitat

A place or type of area where a particular organism or population naturally occurs. The term also refers to the environmental characteristics required by a specific species. A synonym for habitat is living environment.

I

Invasive species

A species that has spread outside its natural range with the inadvertent or deliberate assistance of humans. A harmful invasive species is an invasive species that threatens biodiversity or associated ecosystem services. EU and Finnish legislation on invasive species does not apply to species that spread to Finland on their own, without human intervention.

J

Just Ecological Transition

A just ecological transition ensures that, in the pursuit of an ecologically sustainable society, human rights are respected, vulnerable and marginalised groups are supported, and the costs of the transition are distributed fairly. Justice also extends beyond national borders, including ensuring decent working conditions for labour forces abroad and involving diverse communities in the planning, implementation, evaluation, and decision-making processes of the transition.

M

Mitigation Measure

An action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or increases carbon sinks—that is, expands carbon reservoirs. Synonyms often used include climate action or climate measure.

N

Nature

Nature is a concept whose definition depends on the perception and relationship with nature. For example, in land use planning at municipal and regional levels, nature may refer to areas inhabited by species. This includes vegetated areas such as forests, fields, shores, and water bodies, as well as built green spaces like parks and golf courses, and vegetated parts of private yards.

Nature Footprint

The nature footprint describes the overall impact of an individual, organisation, product, or service on biodiversity, particularly species loss. It can reflect both harm to nature and positive effects. A comprehensive nature footprint should consider five major drivers of biodiversity loss: land use, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, overconsumption of natural resources, and the spread of invasive alien species. Current calculation methods typically account for 3–4 of these drivers.

Natural Resources

Natural resources include everything in nature that humans can utilise for their benefit. They can be divided into stocks and flows. Resources like solar radiation, ocean currents, and wind are continuous flows whose use does not reduce their availability. Stocks can be renewable or non-renewable. Non-renewable resources are finite and may be either depleting or persistent. Depleting resources, such as fossil fuels, diminish with use. Persistent resources, like metals, are also finite but can be reused indefinitely if managed sustainably.

No Net Loss

A state in which the overall impact of human activity does not lead to a decline in biodiversity.

P

Perception and Relationship with Nature

Perception of nature refers to the knowledge-based understanding of nature held by individuals and institutions. Relationship with nature includes this perception but also encompasses emotional, experiential, and practical connections to nature and human communities.

R

Regenerative Design

Regenerative design goes beyond reducing harm or protecting biodiversity—it actively restores and improves the environment. It is a nature-positive approach that enhances ecological conditions. Regenerative design can be applied, for example, in the real estate and construction sectors.

Resource Efficiency

Resource efficiency refers to efforts to reduce environmental impact in the production of goods and services. It considers the entire product lifecycle, including raw material extraction, consumption, reuse, and disposal.

S

Sharing Economy

An economic approach and model where access to goods and services is more important than owning them.

Social Sustainability

Social sustainability means ensuring that the conditions for well-being are passed from one generation to the next. Ongoing population growth, poverty, food and healthcare access, gender equality, and access to education are global challenges for social sustainability, with significant impacts on ecological and economic sustainability. The boundaries of social sustainability define the basic needs that no one should be left without.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the basic needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development integrates environmental, social, and economic considerations into decision-making and action. The environment—i.e. ecological sustainability—forms the foundation for social and economic sustainability.

Sustainable Food System

A sustainable food system produces food that promotes health, and its production and consumption conserve natural resources by using and recycling them optimally. A sustainable food system supports the circular economy.

Systemic Change

Systemic change refers to the simultaneous transformation of practices, structures, and their interactions to create the conditions for future well-being and sustainable development.

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