Preparation and adjustment in natural or human systems to reduce the negative impacts of a changing climate, which moderates, harms, or takes advantage of beneficial opportunities.
Source: EPA
Glossary
The ability of a system to adjust to the effects or impacts of climate change while mitigating potential damages, taking advantage of opportunities, or coping/responding to consequences.
Source: EPA
The term refers to the total net amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that can still be emitted by human activities while limiting global warming to a specified level (e.g., 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels).
Source: IPCC
A naturally occurring, heat-trapping gas that is a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, and is released from other human activities such as land-use changes, deforestation, and other industrial processes.
Source: EPA
The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are released into the atmosphere each year caused by an individual, family, organization, company, event, or service.
Source: EPA
A fee placed on emitting carbon and/or an incentive that is offered for emitting less carbon.
Source: UNFCCC
The process of capturing and removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in a reservoir. Terrestrial or biological carbon sequestration is where plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide, release the oxygen, and store the carbon.
Source: EPA
The long term and average weather conditions for a specific area.
Source: EPA
Established in September 2022, this was the initial cross departmental team whose function was to support and drive the development of the Region's Corporate Climate Action Plan.
The long term changes in current climatic conditions such as temperature, wind patterns and/or precipitation.
Source: EPA
Regional staff team under Strategic Initiatives and Government Relations responsible for coordinating the metrics and annual reporting of the 2023-2026 Halton Corporate Climate Plan to Council and the public, with the support of CART.
Ensures everyone, regardless of income, race and other characteristics receives a just distribution of environmental benefits and climate protection while simultaneously removing unequal burdens.
Climate finance aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions and/or to enhance adaptation and increase resilience to the impacts of current and projected climate change. Finance can come from private and public sources, channelled by various intermediaries, and is delivered by a range of instruments, including grants, concessional and non-concessional debt, and internal budget reallocations.
Source: IPCC
Acknowledges that the impacts of climate change are greater on low-income communities, communities of colour and immigrant communities who are the least responsible for climate change emissions around the world.
An understanding of human influence on climate and the influence of climate on human systems and society.
Source: Georgia State University
Actions under this theme will allow Halton Region to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, safeguarding corporate assets and service deliverables.
Normalisation of environmental data aims at clarifying the human impact on the environment by suppressing meteorologically driven fluctuations and other natural variation in the collected data.
The process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to achieve a lower output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Source: TWI
Ecological mismatch is a concept that refers to the consequences of climate change to the natural environment. It occurs when the timing of natural events, such as the blooming of plants or the migration of animals, is disrupted by changes in the environment. This can cause problems for species that rely on these events to survive and reproduce.
Source: Davidson College
Contain a battery instead of a gasoline tank, and have an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine.
Source: EPA
Charging equipment for electric vehicles including public and private charging stations.
Source: US Department of Energy
The release of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Source: EPA
A reference point in time against which future emission reductions are calculated.
Source: Climate Council
An advocacy group bringing together around 2,000 municipalities across Canada.
Source: FCM
A management practice used to build and maintain a vehicle inventory that reduces emissions without compromising fleet activities.
Source: US Department of Energy
Comes from decomposing plants and animals that have been turned into crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils. This occurs from the exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years.
Source: EPA
Changing from one type of fuel source to another.
Source: EPA
The Earth's mean surface air temperature averaged over the entire planet.
Source: EPA
The global average increase in the Earth’s surface temperature.
Source: EPA
The trapping of the sun’s heat by gases in the Earth’s atmosphere near the surface.
Source: EPA
The atmospheric gases responsible for causing climate change. The major greenhouse gases (GHG) are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). Less prevalent, but very powerful greenhouse gases (GHG) include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Source: EPA
An estimate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within a defined boundary in a given year. Sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can include transportation, residential and commercial energy, wastewater treatment, and the decomposition of solid waste.
Source: Indiana University
Lengthy time periods in which excessive heat and high humidity values are seen.
Source: EPA
Refers to the unique cultures, languages, values, histories, governance and legal systems of Indigenous Peoples.
Source: Government of Canada
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.
Source: IPCC
Quantifiable indicators used to set targets and track progress towards an intended result.
Source: KPI
Knowledge Mobilization occurs when research knowledge is applied to help facilitate real-world impact on policy and society. It is the process of adapting knowledge to increase research uptake and inform decisions.
Source: Toronto Metropolitan University
Relates to strategies and programs that aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the impact that humans have on the environment.
Source: EPA
Underground deposits of gas mainly consisting of methane that is used as fuel.
Source: EPA
A joint venture of ICLEI and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Partners for Climate Protection program helps municipalities reduce emissions by providing a five step framework to plan the journey.
Source: Partners for Climate Protection
Sources of energy that replenish naturally such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass.
Source: EPA
The capability to have minimum damage to the environment, social wellbeing, and the economy from multi hazard threats. This is achieved through anticipation, preparation, and recovery planning.
Source: EPA
To help delineate direct and indirect emission sources, improve transparency, and provide utility for different types of organizations and different types of climate policies and business goals, three “scopes” (scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3) are defined for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting purposes.
Scope 1
- Direct GHG emissions occur from sources that are owned or controlled by the company/organization.
Scope 2
- Indirect GHG emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the company/organization.
Scope 3
- Other indirect GHG emission as a consequence of the activities of the company but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the company/organization.
Source: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol
Halton Region’s Strategic Business Plan sets the strategic direction and priorities for Council’s four-year term of office. Through Halton’s Strategic Business Plan (2023-2026), Climate is identified as a key pillar.
Source: Halton Region
An integrated set of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 recognizing that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Source: UNDP
The TCFD reports on the impact that an organization has on the global climate by streamlining information to make it easier to compare with. This clearer information will help organizations incorporate climate risks into decision making processes.
Source:Deloitte
Vector-borne diseases are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by vectors. Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans.
Source: WHO
Weather describes the state of the atmosphere at a given time and location, and describes the conditions that we are experiencing now, or that are forecast to occur in the near future.
Source: ClimateData