Cutting Through the Carbon Jargon: A Plain-English Guide to Sustainability, ESG & Net Zero Terms

If you’re navigating the world of sustainability, climate action, or ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategy, chances are you’ve come across a heap of acronyms and buzzwords: Scope 1 emissions, net zero, carbon neutral, CSR… the list goes on.

At Climate Logic, we work with businesses across Australia who are doing their best to act on climate—but who often feel overwhelmed by the technical terms and shifting standards. So we’ve put together this plain-English guide to the lingo. Whether you’re writing your first sustainability report or trying to decipher a consultant’s proposal, this will help you make sense of the language and avoid greenwash traps.

The Big Picture Terms

Sustainability: A broad concept that means meeting today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It spans environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

Climate Change: The long-term shift in average global weather patterns, largely driven by human activity—especially the burning of fossil fuels.

Net Zero: A state where an organisation (or country) balances the amount of greenhouse gases it emits with the amount it removes from the atmosphere. This usually involves reducing emissions as much as possible, then offsetting the rest.

Carbon Neutral: Similar to net zero, but often refers to offsetting all emissions from a specific product, service or business activity. It doesn’t always mean deep emissions cuts—so check the fine print.

The Acronyms You Keep Seeing

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance): A framework used by investors and businesses to assess how well a company is managing risks and opportunities in areas like emissions, human rights, and board diversity.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility): A company’s efforts to operate in an ethical and sustainable way—often including philanthropy, community initiatives and reducing environmental impact.

GHG (Greenhouse Gas): Any gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, including CO₂, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O).

Let’s Talk Emissions: Scope 1, 2, 3

Understanding your “scopes” is essential for carbon accounting.

• Scope 1 – Direct emissions from sources you own or control (e.g., fuel burned onsite, company vehicles).
• Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from the electricity, steam, heating or cooling you buy.
• Scope 3 – All other indirect emissions across your value chain. This includes supplier emissions, business travel, waste, and even the use of your products.

Other Key Concepts

Carbon Footprint: The total GHG emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organisation, or product.

Carbon Accounting: The process of measuring and reporting GHG emissions. Done well, this creates a clear baseline for setting targets and tracking progress.

Offsets: Activities or credits that “cancel out” your emissions—like planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects. Offsets can be useful, but they’re not a free pass to keep polluting.

Greenwashing: When a company exaggerates or misrepresents its environmental efforts—usually for marketing or PR gain. Spotting greenwash means looking past slogans and checking for data and third-party verification.

Why This Matters

Clear communication is crucial if we’re serious about taking climate action. It builds trust, avoids confusion, and helps people at every level of a business engage with the transition.

If you’re just getting started—or knee-deep in sustainability strategy—we hope this guide helps cut through the noise.

Want help making sense of your emissions, ESG commitments or sustainability strategy?
Contact the team at Climate Logic – we turn climate complexity into practical steps forward.