A B C D E F G H I J K L N O P R S U V W

California Climate Action Registry (CCAR)

A voluntary greenhouse gas registry in the U.S. that provides GHG reporting standards and emissions reduction verification across different sectors of industry. Members report their GHG emissions and their reduction work. In return, the state ensures that members are credited for early action under current and future legislation. The CCAR is a private non-profit organization, though it was originally formed by the State of California in 2001 after a group of CEOs interested in sustainable investment requested that the state create an agency to record emissions reduction histories in order to have verifiable accounts of their behavior in the event of regulation of industry.

Carbon Asset

The potential of greenhouse gas emission reductions that a project is able to generate and sell.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)

CO2e is a measurement unit to indicate the global warming potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured. Other green house gasses that are reported as Carbon Dioxide Equivalent are:
 Carbon dioxide (CO2)
 Methane (CH4),
 Nitrous oxide (N2O),
 Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6),
 Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
 Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

Carbon Footprint

The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a person, product or service.

Carbon Neutral

CO₂ emissions from sources, which are currently not addressed, or only inadequately addressed, by climate policies (e.g. private households, public administrations, most small and medium sized businesses, air travel). Carbon neutrality is a voluntary market mechanism to encourage the reduction of emissions.

CDM

see Clean Development Mechanism.

CERs

see Certified Emission Reductions.

Certification

The certification process is the phase of a CDM or JI project when permits are issued on the basis of calculated emissions reductions and verification, possibly by a third party.

Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)

A Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO ₂ equivalent. CERs are issued for emission reductions from CDM project activities. Two special types of CERs called temporary certified emission reduction (tCERs) and long-term certified emission reductions (lCERs) are issued for emission removals from afforestation and reforestation CDM projects.

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

The mechanism provided by Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, designed to assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development by permitting industrialized countries to finance projects for reducing greenhouse gas emission in developing countries and receive credit for doing so.

Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board (CDM EB)

The CDM EB is accountable to the Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. It registers validated project activities as CDM projects, issues certified emission reductions to relevant projects participants, and manages series of technical panels and working groups meetings.

Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL)

Central Administrator programme started at January 1, 2005 according to EU Directive 2003/87/EC, which underline the necessity to maintain an independent transaction log recording the issue, transfer and cancellation of allowances within European Union.

Compliance

Achievement by a Party its quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Conference of Parties (COP)

The meeting of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.