Glossary
Clarity is crucial in a jargon heavy industry like carbon removal
Glossary
Clarity is crucial in a jargon heavy industry like carbon removal
On this page we’ve defined the terms that appear regularly on Isometric’s website and throughout our work. A number of these definitions are pulled directly from the CDR Primer, which reflects the consensus of dozens of industry experts; of these, many have been simplified for ease of reference, though none have been materially changed.
A
Activity
A type of component that encompasses carbon fluxes resulting as a direct result of a supplier’s carbon removal process.
Additionality
Evaluates the degree to which an intervention – for example, a CDR project – causes a climate benefit above and beyond what would have happened in a no-intervention baseline scenario.
Anthropogenic carbon emissions
Human activities, such as burning fossil fuel, deforestation, and livestock, that result in an overall increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
Avoided emissions
Permanently storing what would have been a carbon dioxide emission in order to avoid an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
A
Activity
A type of component that encompasses carbon fluxes resulting as a direct result of a supplier’s carbon removal process.
Additionality
Evaluates the degree to which an intervention – for example, a CDR project – causes a climate benefit above and beyond what would have happened in a no-intervention baseline scenario.
Anthropogenic carbon emissions
Human activities, such as burning fossil fuel, deforestation, and livestock, that result in an overall increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
Avoided emissions
Permanently storing what would have been a carbon dioxide emission in order to avoid an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
B
Broker
An entity that purchases CDR on behalf of an indirect buyer. Brokers come in different forms but typically take a percent of the purchase price as their brokerage fee.
Buyer
An entity (usually corporate, but can be individual) that purchases CDR. Buyers can be either direct (purchasing CDR from a supplier) or indirect (purchasing CDR via a broker)
B
Broker
An entity that purchases CDR on behalf of an indirect buyer. Brokers come in different forms but typically take a percent of the purchase price as their brokerage fee.
Buyer
An entity (usually corporate, but can be individual) that purchases CDR. Buyers can be either direct (purchasing CDR from a supplier) or indirect (purchasing CDR via a broker)
C
Carbon accounting
The process of quantifying carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions throughout a system or product's lifecycle.
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
A term encompassing methods and technologies to remove carbon dioxide from flue gas and from the atmosphere, followed by recycling the carbon dioxide for utilisation and determining safe and permanent storage options.
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)
Activities that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durably store it in geological, terrestrial, ocean reservoirs, or in products. CDR includes the enhancement of biological or geochemical sinks and direct air capture (DAC) and storage, but excludes natural carbon dioxide uptake not directly caused by human intervention. (Isometric also refers to CDR as simply “removal.”)
Carbon flux
The amount of carbon exchanged between the land, ocean, living things (i.e. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, etc.), and the atmosphere.
Carbon intensity
The amount of carbon or carbon equivalent emissions related to the unit production of a service or good, typically measured over its entire lifecycle.
Carbon offsets
Programs or policy regimes in which companies or individuals pay for activities that result in emissions reductions or CDR.
Carbon uptake
The flux of carbon from the atmosphere to other terrestrial subsystems.
Component
A set of related carbon fluxes and how they are treated. Activities, counterfactuals, and losses are all considered components.
Counterfactual
A counterfactual typically corresponds to the practice of attempting to quantify what might have happened should a particular action not have occurred. In carbon removal this refers to attempting to quantify potential emissions that would have occurred if a supplier did not engage in their carbon removal process as well as emissions that occurred in response to a supplier's carbon removal process changing the existing supply and demand dynamics in a given sector.
C
Carbon accounting
The process of quantifying carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions throughout a system or product's lifecycle.
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
A term encompassing methods and technologies to remove carbon dioxide from flue gas and from the atmosphere, followed by recycling the carbon dioxide for utilisation and determining safe and permanent storage options.
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)
Activities that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durably store it in geological, terrestrial, ocean reservoirs, or in products. CDR includes the enhancement of biological or geochemical sinks and direct air capture (DAC) and storage, but excludes natural carbon dioxide uptake not directly caused by human intervention. (Isometric also refers to CDR as simply “removal.”)
Carbon flux
The amount of carbon exchanged between the land, ocean, living things (i.e. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, etc.), and the atmosphere.
Carbon intensity
The amount of carbon or carbon equivalent emissions related to the unit production of a service or good, typically measured over its entire lifecycle.
Carbon offsets
Programs or policy regimes in which companies or individuals pay for activities that result in emissions reductions or CDR.
Carbon uptake
The flux of carbon from the atmosphere to other terrestrial subsystems.
Component
A set of related carbon fluxes and how they are treated. Activities, counterfactuals, and losses are all considered components.
Counterfactual
A counterfactual typically corresponds to the practice of attempting to quantify what might have happened should a particular action not have occurred. In carbon removal this refers to attempting to quantify potential emissions that would have occurred if a supplier did not engage in their carbon removal process as well as emissions that occurred in response to a supplier's carbon removal process changing the existing supply and demand dynamics in a given sector.
D
Delivery
The process of a supplier apportioning removals into orders to fulfil their buyers’ purchases. A removal can only be delivered after it has been verified.
Direct air capture (DAC)
A chemical process that removes carbon dioxide from ambient air. When paired with carbon storage strategies, DAC is sometimes referred to as direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS).
Direct emissions
Emissions that are directly controllable and produced from within the system boundary.
D
Delivery
The process of a supplier apportioning removals into orders to fulfil their buyers’ purchases. A removal can only be delivered after it has been verified.
Direct air capture (DAC)
A chemical process that removes carbon dioxide from ambient air. When paired with carbon storage strategies, DAC is sometimes referred to as direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS).
Direct emissions
Emissions that are directly controllable and produced from within the system boundary.
G
Greenhouse gas (GHG)
Those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused), that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, by the atmosphere itself, and by clouds. This property causes the greenhouse effect, whereby heat is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere.
G
Greenhouse gas (GHG)
Those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused), that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, by the atmosphere itself, and by clouds. This property causes the greenhouse effect, whereby heat is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere.
L
Life cycle assessment analysis (LCA)
An analysis of the balance of positive and negative emissions associated with a certain process, which includes all of the flows of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, along with other environmental or social impacts of concern. (This is also referred to as “life cycle analysis” in the CDR Primer and elsewhere.)
Loss
A type of component that encompasses potential negative feedback from the removal process, which can result in carbon dioxide release post-removal. These can occur both after carbon has been removed but before it has been durably stored, and after storage due to environmental changes.
L
Life cycle assessment analysis (LCA)
An analysis of the balance of positive and negative emissions associated with a certain process, which includes all of the flows of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, along with other environmental or social impacts of concern. (This is also referred to as “life cycle analysis” in the CDR Primer and elsewhere.)
Loss
A type of component that encompasses potential negative feedback from the removal process, which can result in carbon dioxide release post-removal. These can occur both after carbon has been removed but before it has been durably stored, and after storage due to environmental changes.
N
Negative emissions
Occur when a sink – created or enhanced by human activity – removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Net-zero emissions
Achieved when more greenhouse gases are removed from the atmosphere than are emitted into it.
N
Negative emissions
Occur when a sink – created or enhanced by human activity – removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Net-zero emissions
Achieved when more greenhouse gases are removed from the atmosphere than are emitted into it.
O
Order
The process of a buyer purchasing tonnes of CDR from a supplier.
O
Order
The process of a buyer purchasing tonnes of CDR from a supplier.
P
Pathway
An informal collection of CDR processes that share some common characteristics.
Process
A carbon removal company uses a certain process to perform CDR, which is made up of actions the supplier and their supply chain undertakes to remove CO₂. This is a largely qualitative description, though it can include quantitative elements as well.
Protocol
Describes how to quantitatively assess the net amount of carbon dioxide removed by a process. A protocol is made of modular components—activities, counterfactuals, and losses—which describe the fluxes involved in the CDR process. This means the protocol measures the full carbon impact of a process against the baseline of it not occurring.
P
Pathway
An informal collection of CDR processes that share some common characteristics.
Process
A carbon removal company uses a certain process to perform CDR, which is made up of actions the supplier and their supply chain undertakes to remove CO₂. This is a largely qualitative description, though it can include quantitative elements as well.
Protocol
Describes how to quantitatively assess the net amount of carbon dioxide removed by a process. A protocol is made of modular components—activities, counterfactuals, and losses—which describe the fluxes involved in the CDR process. This means the protocol measures the full carbon impact of a process against the baseline of it not occurring.
R
Registry
A database that holds information on verified CDR, including both transaction and verification details.
Reporting
A detailed breakdown of a carbon removal project including net negativity and durability. Other values such as uncertainty, wider ecosystem impacts and the project efficiency might be included.
R
Registry
A database that holds information on verified CDR, including both transaction and verification details.
Reporting
A detailed breakdown of a carbon removal project including net negativity and durability. Other values such as uncertainty, wider ecosystem impacts and the project efficiency might be included.
S
Sink
Any process, activity or mechanism that removes a greenhouse gas, a precursor to a greenhouse gas, or an aerosol from the atmosphere
Storage
Two terms that can be used interchangeably to describe the addition of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere to a reservoir, which serves as its ultimate destination. (This is also referred to as “sequestration” in the CDR Primer and elsewhere.)
Supplier
An entity that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that it can be stored durably, and sells this service to buyers.
S
Sink
Any process, activity or mechanism that removes a greenhouse gas, a precursor to a greenhouse gas, or an aerosol from the atmosphere
Storage
Two terms that can be used interchangeably to describe the addition of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere to a reservoir, which serves as its ultimate destination. (This is also referred to as “sequestration” in the CDR Primer and elsewhere.)
Supplier
An entity that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that it can be stored durably, and sells this service to buyers.
T
Tonnes
Metric tons—equivalent to 1,000 kilograms—which is how Isometric measures removals.
T
Tonnes
Metric tons—equivalent to 1,000 kilograms—which is how Isometric measures removals.
U
Uncertainty
A lack of knowledge of the exact amount of carbon dioxide removed by a particular processaction, due to factors such as our inability to precisely measure certain physical phenomena, or simplified assumptions made in models or life cycle assessments. Uncertainty may be quantified using probability distributions, confidence intervals, or variance estimates.
U
Uncertainty
A lack of knowledge of the exact amount of carbon dioxide removed by a particular processaction, due to factors such as our inability to precisely measure certain physical phenomena, or simplified assumptions made in models or life cycle assessments. Uncertainty may be quantified using probability distributions, confidence intervals, or variance estimates.
V
Verification
The assessment of how much CDR has happened in practice, determined using the quantitative framework laid out in the protocol for a specific supplier's process.
Verified removal
The process of conducting carbon removal following a specific process, and having the removal claim successfully and independently verified.
Voluntary carbon market
Avoided or removed carbon dioxide emissions (quantified as offset credits) that are exchanged through marketplaces not created or utilised for policy compliance. Individuals and companies procure carbon credits through these markets on an entirely voluntary basis.
V
Verification
The assessment of how much CDR has happened in practice, determined using the quantitative framework laid out in the protocol for a specific supplier's process.
Verified removal
The process of conducting carbon removal following a specific process, and having the removal claim successfully and independently verified.
Voluntary carbon market
Avoided or removed carbon dioxide emissions (quantified as offset credits) that are exchanged through marketplaces not created or utilised for policy compliance. Individuals and companies procure carbon credits through these markets on an entirely voluntary basis.
Isometric is a carbon removal registry, verification service, and science platform built to ensure the transition to carbon removal happens responsibly and fast. Founded in 2022, Isometric is based in London and New York.
Get in touch
contact@isometric.com
Press enquiries
press@isometric.com
Isometric is a carbon removal registry, verification service, and science platform built to ensure the transition to carbon removal happens responsibly and fast. Founded in 2022, Isometric is based in London and New York.
Get in touch
contact@isometric.com
Press enquiries
press@isometric.com
Isometric is a carbon removal registry, verification service, and science platform built to ensure the transition to carbon removal happens responsibly and fast. Founded in 2022, Isometric is based in London and New York.
Get in touch
contact@isometric.com
Press enquiries
press@isometric.com