eco-lingo 101 - the vocabulary of a greener future

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Biodiversity This refers to 'the variability of living organisms, between and within species, and the changeability of the ecosystems to which they belong' (The Convention on Biological Diversity)

Carbon footprint The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a person, operation or business, typically measured in tonnes. CO2e. or carbon dioxide equivalent, is the standard unit for measuring carbon footprints across indus-tries. While there are more greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, emissions are currently and typically measured in terms of CO2.

Carbon neutral The balance between emitting, and the voluntary reduction and compensation (offsetting) of emissions, to achieve a neutral emission equilibrium.

Circular economy A circular economy is regenerative and aims to reduce the consumption of finite virgin resources. It encourages the evolving or adaptation of mostly lifestyle products so that they can be reused for longer, and when no longer usable, can be recovered for parts. It is a systemic approach designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment.

Community-based Tourism (CBT) Putting the host community at the centre of the travel experience, the aim of CBT is to ensure local people benefit from the income generated from the travel industry. This includes owning and managing their own surroundings, economy and business. CBTs are seen on responsible tour operator itineraries - such as Intrepid Travel's immersive experiences and Experience Travel Group's 'Give Back Experiences’. Community-based tourism initiatives may also be supported by donations from an operator's non-profit arms, such as Plane-terra by G Adventures, the Intrepid Foundation or the Great Plains Foundation.

Eco-certified A certification of sorts that suggests an envi-ronmentally-positive operation. However, accreditation varies in standard and integrity and only external professional bodies should be considered as trustworthy. Even then, it's important to consider the criteria for certification - as some accreditations are basic, others are more stringent.

Ecotourism According to the International Ecotourism Society, eco-tourism is "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education". The term is often used interchangeably with 'sustainable tourism', although the latter can relate to any area of sustainability within the sector, not only nature-based tourism.

Environmentally-friendly This is a very loose term and can, tech-nically, cover a whole manner of scopes - including those that may seem 'green' on the surface but aren't on a deeper look. Businesses with a genuinely positive impact tend to offer more detail than this simple term.

Green Being 'green' is used to describe actions or initiatives that are conducted in a sustainable way, in an attempt to reduce impact on planetary resource limits. However the word can be used to describe actions or initiatives that do not actively do this, but rather convey an ethos of being planet-friendly; eg being outside, walking or riding a bike. This can be considered "greenwashing".

Greenwashing This is when an individual or company paints an action as credibly sustainable when, in fact, it is an action that benefits them, or that should be considered the bare minimum. This is typically in the form of an overstated or exaggerated claim of environmental or social impact. Sometimes, greenwashing can be unintentional due to a lack of understanding of what is genuinely impactful, but often it is deliberate disinformation intended to engage clients.

Net zero (emissions) Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that's produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere. It can be achieved through emission reduction and emission removal.

Renewable energy Renewable energy comes from (typically) naturally replenishing sources such as solar, wind, geothermal or hydroelectric (contested). They can be accessed via a public grid system or produced locally, perhaps on-site at a hotel or resort. Renewable energy is typically used for electricity.

Responsible tourism According to the Responsible Tourism Partnership, 'Responsible Tourism requires that operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists take responsibil-ity, and take action to make tourism more sustainable. Behaviour can be more or less responsible, and what is responsible in a particular place depends on environment and culture'. The concept was defined in Cape Town in 2002 alongside the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Rewilding The process of protecting an environment and returning it to its natural state; for example, bringing back wild animals that used to live there (Cambridge Dictionary).

Slow travel An approach to travel that emphasises a connection to local people, cultures, food and music. It relies on the idea that a trip is meant to educate and have an emotional impact, while remaining beneficial for local communities and the environment.

Sustainable development "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development requires the elimination of institutional fragmenta-tion, ensuring that environmental, social, and economic concerns are integrated throughout decision-making processes and development that is fair, equitable and just." (World Commission on Environment and Development)

Sustainability The quality of being able to continue over a period of time, or the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance (Cambridge Dictionary).

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Biosphere reserves are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity. They are places that provide local solutions to global challenges. Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems.

Zero-kilometre food A movement reducing the distance between producers and sales and consumer establishments to a radius of under 100 kilometres, with the aim of minimising the effects that large-scale industry have on the planet, including soil erosion, water pollution, and habitat loss for wild species.

Zero waste Zero waste is a set of principles that are focused on waste prevention and are geared around prolonging resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed and/or reused (see "Circular economy').

The idea is that this should ensure that no waste ends up in a landfill.

Some Widely Noted Certifications:

European Commission’s European Green Capital (EGC)

Awarded to cities over 100,000 habitants, to recognise and reward local action towards a transition to a greener, more sustainable future. Winning cities include their citizens in this transition, improve the urban environment, combat pollution and mitigate and prepare for more resilience to climate change.

Winners: Vilnius (2025), Valencia (2024), Tallinn (2023), Grenoble (2022), Lahti (2021), Lisbon (2020), Oslo (2019)

LEED

Developed by the US  Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the most widely-used building sustainability rating system. For hotels and accommodation (buildings), this is assessed against areas such as energy and water efficiency, materials used, indoor air quality and awareness and education.