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ConceptsGlossary
Concepts

Glossary

Key terms and definitions used in Darwin

Glossary

A-E

Commodity

The lowest level of transformed product, standardized and tradable. Examples: copper, wheat, palm oil.

Commodity Inventory

List of commodities with associated quantities traced to your business activities.

Ecosystem Use Type

Classification describing the type of ecosystem or land cover being used by (or transformed for) a given activity.

EMRIO

Environmentally Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output model. A framework integrating economic input-output analysis with environmental data to track flows across countries.

G-L

GHG

Greenhouse Gas. Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere (CO2, CH4, N2O, etc.).

GWP100

Global Warming Potential (100-year). A metric comparing the warming impact of different greenhouse gases over 100 years, expressed in CO2 equivalents.

IPBES

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The leading international body for assessing the state of biodiversity.

LCA

Life Cycle Assessment. A methodology for evaluating environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave).

LCI

Life Cycle Inventory. The data collection phase of LCA, quantifying inputs and outputs of a product system.

LCIA

Life Cycle Impact Assessment. The phase of LCA that evaluates potential environmental impacts based on LCI results.

M-R

PDF

Potentially Disappeared Fraction. A metric expressing the fraction of species potentially lost due to environmental pressures.

Pressures

Environmental interventions driving biodiversity loss: land use, pollution, climate change, water consumption, etc.

ReCiPe

A Life Cycle Impact Assessment methodology that converts environmental pressures into damage indicators for human health, ecosystems, and resources.

S-Z

SBTN

Science Based Targets Network. A framework helping companies set science-based targets for nature, including biodiversity.

Scope

Perimeters of the value chain:

  • Scope 1: Direct operations
  • Scope 2: Purchased energy
  • Scope 3 Upstream: Supply chain (suppliers, raw materials)
  • Scope 3 Downstream: Product use and end-of-life

Species.year

A metric quantifying potential species loss over time due to human activities. Combines the fraction of species affected with the duration of impact.

Stressors

Environmental extensions in EMRIO models: energy use, emissions, water consumption, waste generation.

TNFD

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. A framework for organizations to report nature-related risks and opportunities.

Value Chain

The full range of activities involved in creating a product, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.


Units Reference

UnitNameContext
t CO2eqTonnes of CO2 equivalentClimate change
kg DCBeqkg 1,4-Dichlorobenzene equivalentEcotoxicity
kg SO2eqkg Sulfur dioxide equivalentAcidification
kg P eqkg Phosphorus equivalentFreshwater eutrophication
kg N eqkg Nitrogen equivalentMarine eutrophication
kg NOx eqkg Nitrogen oxides equivalentPhotochemical ozone
m2.yearSquare meters per yearLand occupation
m2Square metersLand transformation
m3Cubic metersWater consumption
species.yearSpecies multiplied by yearsBiodiversity impact
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