IB Environmental systems and societies 6.3B Stakeholder Responses Key Definitions

Carbon offsetting is compensating for emissions by investing in activities that remove or reduce an equivalent amount of carbon elsewhere.

A carbon tax is a financial charge placed on the carbon content of fuels, encouraging businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.

Climate justice emphasizes fairness, ensuring those who contribute the least to climate change are not the ones who suffer the most.

Mitigation is any strategy that reduces or prevents greenhouse gas emissions, including transitioning to renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing industrial emissions.

Radiative forcing describes how different factors, such as GHGs, aerosols, and albedo, alter the balance of heat in Earth’s atmosphere.

Radiative forcing measures the change in Earth’s energy balance caused by greenhouse gases, influencing global temperature.

UNFCCC is the foundational global treaty established in 1992 to coordinate international climate action.