Climate change: A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere, and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over time periods. (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 20 January 1994. Accessible here.)

Adaptative capacity: The ability of systems, institutions, humans and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences. (Möller et al (eds) “Annex II: Glossary” in Pörtner et al (eds) Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. February, 2022. Accessible here.)

Sustainability:A dynamic process that guarantees the persistence of natural and human systems in an equitable manner. (National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, 13 November 2019. Accessible here.)

Climate-resilient development pathways: Climate-resilient development pathways (CRDP) strengthen sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities, while promoting  adaptation to and resilience in a changing  climate. CRDPs raise the ethics, equity and feasibility questions around deep transformation needed to reduce emissions and achieve liveable futures and well-being for all. (Möller et al (eds) “Annex II: Glossary” in Pörtner et al (eds) Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. February, 2022. Accessible here.)

Just transition: A vision-led, unifying and place-based set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy. This means approaching production and consumption cycles holistically and waste-free. The transition itself must be just and equitable; redressing past harms and creating new relationships of power for the future through reparations. If the process of transition is not just, the outcome will never be. Just Transition describes both where we are going and how we get there. (Climate Justice Alliance, Just Transition – A Framework for Change. Accessible here.)

Duty of corporate vigilance: Effective measures to identify risks and prevent severe human rights impacts resulting from a company’s own activities, and the activities of companies it controls directly or indirectly. (Adapted from the French Duty of Vigilance Law. LOI n° 2017-399 du 27 mars 2017. Accessible here. See also Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, France’s Duty of Vigilance Law. Accessible here.)

Mitigation: A human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of  greenhouse gases. (National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, 13 November 2019. Accessible here.)