CLIMATE & CARBON
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY
GREEN TECH & INNOVATION
CITIES & TRANSPORTATION
BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEMS
200
This heat-trapping gas, released when burning fossil fuels, is the biggest contributor to human-caused warming.
What is carbon dioxide?
200
Tossing a can or bottle into the correct bin allows it to be processed into new materials through this process.
What is recycling?
200
Bulbs that use semiconductors to emit light and last far longer than traditional incandescents are known by this acronym.
What are LEDs (light-emitting diodes)?
200
Choosing to walk or ride a bicycle instead of driving for short trips is often called this type of transportation.
What is active transportation?
200
Forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and grasslands are all examples of these complex communities of living things and their environment.
What are ecosystems?
400
This powerful greenhouse gas, associated with natural gas systems, landfills, and livestock, has a much higher short-term warming potential than carbon dioxide.
What is methane?
400
When electronics are improperly discarded, this type of waste (often containing metals and hazardous substances) can harm people and ecosystems.
What is e-waste?
400
Buildings that are designed to save water, cut energy use, and support occupant well‑being may seek certifications such as this widely known rating system.
What is LEED?
400
Systems like buses, subways, and light rail that move many people at once fall into this category.
What is public transit (or mass transit)?
400
This term refers to the variety of life on Earth, including the range of species, genetic variation, and different habitats.
What is biodiversity?
600
The long-term average of temperature, precipitation, and other conditions in an area is known by this term, distinct from “weather.”
What is climate?
600
Selling access to a product as a service, and then taking it back at the end of its life for refurbishment or remanufacturing, is an example of this business model.
What is product-as-a-service?
600
Vehicles that rely entirely on a battery and electric motor (rather than an internal combustion engine) fall into this category.
What are all‑electric vehicles (or battery electric vehicles)?
600
Planning neighborhoods where homes, shops, and offices are close together reduces travel distances and is part of this type of urban design.
What is mixed-use development?
600
ut-of-balance populations of non-native species, such as certain plants or animals that spread rapidly, are known by this term.
What are invasive species?
800
This concept describes situations where warming triggers changes (like melting ice or thawing frozen ground) that cause even more warming.
What are positive feedback loops?
800
This strategy aims to cut single-use packaging by prioritizing systems like refill stations, deposit programs, and bulk dispensing.
What is refilling (or buying in bulk)?
800
Data centers can reduce their footprint by using this type of energy contract, where they pay for power generated from renewables even if it’s not on the same site.
What is a power purchase agreement (or PPA)?
800
Growing vegetation on the tops of structures to improve insulation and manage rainwater is an example of this kind of rooftop.
What is a green roof?
800
The disappearance of all members of a species from the planet is referred to by this term.
What is extinction?
1000
Companies that measure emissions from facilities, purchased electricity, and their wider value chain are tracking these three categories defined by international standards.
What are Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions?
1000
When leftover materials from one industrial process become fuel or feedstock for another, it’s an example of this “industrial ecosystem” concept.
What is industrial symbiosis?
1000
Hardware that can be refurbished, reused, or harvested for parts instead of being discarded supports this practice that keeps IT equipment out of landfills.
What is hardware lifecycle management (or IT asset recovery)?
1000
This metric, often expressed in grams of carbon dioxide per passenger-kilometer, compares the impact of different ways of getting around.
What is emissions intensity of transportation?
1000
When habitats are split into smaller, isolated areas by roads or development, this process can reduce connectivity and harm wildlife.
What is habitat fragmentation?