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Every Sustainability Acronym, Explained
We often hear that sustainability is a hot mess of acronyms that are intimidating to newcomers. We agree. Here's a comprehensive list of acronyms and abbreviations every sustainability professional should know.
Agenda 21
A non-binding, voluntarily-implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.
AODP
The Asset Owners Disclosure Project survey of investors on climate actions
BCI
The Better Cotton Initiative, guidance on fair labor and sustainable cotton production
B Corp
B Corp, or B Corporation, is a business certification from B Labs.
Sometimes people call Benefit Corporations "B corps," too. A benefit corporation is a legal business construct, like an LLC or C Corp, except it has sustainability at its core.
BREEAM
Building Research Establishment Global's Environmental Assessment Method for green building
BSR BSR is a global nonprofit organization with member companies and a widely attended annual conference.
CCS
Carbon capture and storage (or sequester) projects
CDP
Formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project (now just CDP); issues corporate surveys on climate change, water and forestry, with additional supply chain reporting guidance.
CDSB
Climate Disclosure Standards Board; provides guidance on climate reporting, and proposed stock exchange listing rule on climate emissions reporting.
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
CO2e
Carbon dioxide equivalent -- frequently used in emissions reporting.
COP
Communication on progress -- a reporting requirement of being a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact.
CSR or CR
Corporate social responsibility or corporate responsibility, commonly used interchangeably
DFPRW
Declaration on fundamental principals and rights to work
DJSI
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
EEIC
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition: a code of conduct for the electronics supply chain
EIA
Environmental Impact Assessment
EPD
Environmental product declaration
ESG
Environment, social and governance disclosure. Used interchangeably with CSR.
FiT Feed-in tariff, the price renewable energy generators are paid by utility companies for their energy
FLA
Fair Labor Association
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council, creates standards for sustainably-harvested woods and fibers.
FT
Fair Trade
G3/G3.1
Global reporting initiative's third generation of sustainability reporting guidelines
G4
Global reporting initiative's fourth generation of sustainability reporting guidelines
(for more info check out our courses)
GEP
Gender equality principals
GHGP
Greenhouse gas protocol for emissions reporting
GIIRS
Global impact investing rating system; third-party ratings for impact investments
GISR
Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings
GRI
Global Reporting Initiative
ILO
International Labor Organization core labor standards
IR/IIRC
Integrated reporting framework of the International Integrated Reporting Council
ISO 14001
International Standards Organization's Environmental Management System
ISO 26000
ISO social responsibility standard
ISO 31000
ISO risk management standard
International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find
pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges
See also ICUN Red List of threatened species
KPI
Key performance indicator
LCA
Lifecycle assessment or Lifecycle analysis
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for green buildings
MDGs
United Nations Millennium Development Goals
OSHA
U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, provides standards for workplace safety
RECs
Renewable Energy Credits -- similar to carbon offsets, but just for renewable energy
REDD
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, a U.N. forestry program
RSPO
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
SASB
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board; offers sustainability accounting standards by industry
SEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment
SFI
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
SDGs
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
SRI Socially responsible investing
ULE
UL Environment, a standards board
UNDHR
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights
UNGC
U.N. Global Compact; companies endorse and report on their progress in meeting 10 CSR principals
USGBC
U.S. Green Building Council; responsible for the LEED standard for green building
VCS
Verified carbon standard, carbon offset certification body
Bonus lists for related industries
Clean Energy Finance 101 from the Yale Center for Business and the Environment Glossary of Energy Efficiency Terms from Conservation Energy Group Energy EducationFor the science behind the energy sector from the University of Calgary
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All right, you made it this far. What am I missing? Tweet @jenboynton to send me your suggestions, and I'll add them to the list!
h/t to Tracey Rembert who shared a version of this list with Ceres participants
Image credit: DAVID MELCHOR DIAZ, Flickr
Jen Boynton is the former Editor-in-Chief of TriplePundit. She has an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School and has helped organizations including SAP, PwC and Fair Trade USA with their sustainability communications messaging. She is based in San Diego, California. When she's not at work, she volunteers as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) for children in the foster care system. She enjoys losing fights with toddlers and eating toast scraps. She lives with her family in sunny San Diego.
