The Climate Dictionary: Empowering children to protect our planet

Environmental pollution, from plastic waste to greenhouse gas emissions, threatens our planet. In this context, raising children with a strong environmental awareness is crucial. KidsEdu is proud to introduce the Climate Dictionary by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a resource that explains core terms to deepen understanding of climate change and sustainable solutions.

What is the climate dictionary?

The UNDP’s Climate Dictionary defines key concepts such as adaptation, blue economy, carbon footprint, and climate justice. Developed under the Climate Promise initiative, it supports over 120 countries in strengthening their Paris Agreement commitments. Suitable for children, parents, and educators, the dictionary provides:

• Foundational knowledge: Clear, accessible information on climate change and solutions.
• Inspiring action: Encourages children to reduce emissions and protect the environment early on.
• Community education: Raises environmental awareness for families and communities.

Terms in the climate dictionary

Below are the 40 definitions from UNDP’s “Climate Dictionary”:

1. Adaptation: Actions to reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts like natural disasters, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss through measures like strengthening infrastructure, improving early warnings, and protecting ecosystems.
2. Blue economy: Sustainable use of ocean resources to protect the environment and drive economic growth, including fisheries, tourism, offshore renewable energy, and marine biotechnology.
3. Carbon removal & Carbon capture: Removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere via natural solutions (reforestation, soil management) or technologies (direct air capture) to mitigate climate change.
4. Carbon footprint: Total greenhouse gas emissions from an individual, organization, or product, measured in tons of CO2 equivalent.
5. Carbon markets: Trading carbon credits (1 credit = 1 ton of CO2 reduced) to incentivize emission reductions, requiring transparency and human rights safeguards.
6. Carbon sink: Systems absorbing more CO2 than they emit, such as forests, oceans, and soil; protecting sinks helps mitigate climate change.
7. Circular economy: A production and consumption model minimizing waste, pollution, and resource use; currently, only 7.2% of materials are recycled.
8. Climate crisis: Severe issues from climate change, including natural disasters, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss, requiring emission cuts and adaptation.
9. Climate finance: Financial resources supporting low-carbon economies and climate adaptation, such as the Green Climate Fund; more funding is needed.
10. Climate justice: Centering equity and human rights in climate action, holding high-emitting nations accountable and protecting future generations.
11. Climate overshoot: A period when global temperatures exceed 1.5°C before declining, potentially mid-century, causing severe ecosystem and human impacts; strong emission cuts are vital to limit its duration and effects.
12. Climate security: Climate actions reducing conflict by providing renewable energy, clean water, and supporting sustainable development.
13. Conference of the Parties (COP): Annual UNFCCC conference since 1995, where the Paris Agreement was signed (COP21, 2015), discussing global climate commitments.
14. Decarbonization: Reducing or eliminating CO2 emissions from energy, transport, and industry via renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
15. Feedback loop: Climate changes triggering self-reinforcing cycles, like melting ice causing oceans to absorb more heat, accelerating warming.
16. Global warming & Climate change: Rising Earth’s temperature due to greenhouse gases trapping heat from activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation. Long-term climate shifts warming the atmosphere, oceans, and land, causing extreme weather and biodiversity loss.
17. Green jobs: Jobs protecting the environment and reducing emissions, such as in renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable agriculture.
18. Greenhouse gases: Gases like CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide trapping heat; human emissions must be reduced to keep warming below 1.5°C.
19. Greenwashing: False claims about positive environmental impacts for profit, undermining trust in sustainability.
20. Indigenous knowledge: Low-carbon lifestyles of Indigenous Peoples, protecting 80% of global biodiversity, needing recognition in climate policies.
21. IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel providing scientific assessments on climate change, guiding international climate negotiations and policies.
22. Just transition: Shifting to a low-carbon economy while ensuring equity, supporting training and jobs for all communities.
23. Loss and damage: Unavoidable climate change impacts, including economic losses (damaged infrastructure) and non-economic losses (cultural or biodiversity loss).
24. Long-term strategies: Plans to 2050 for emission reductions, guiding low-carbon development and sustainable investments.
25. Mitigation: Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance carbon sinks, like using renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, supported by policies.
26. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC): Climate action plans by Paris Agreement countries, updated every 5 years to increase ambition.
27. National Adaptation Plans: Strategies identifying climate adaptation needs, prioritizing actions, and mobilizing finance.
28. Nature-based solutions: Protecting and restoring ecosystems for climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity, involving local communities.
29. Net zero: Balancing CO2 emissions with removals, requiring transformation in energy, transport, and production by 2050.
30. Paris Agreement: 2015 treaty limiting warming to below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, requiring enhanced mitigation and adaptation efforts.
31. Reforestation & Afforestation: Replanting trees in deforested areas to absorb CO2 and protect ecosystems. Planting trees in non-forested areas to restore degraded land, create carbon sinks, and support local economies.
32. REDD+: International framework to reduce deforestation, degradation, and promote sustainable forest management in developing countries.
33. Regenerative agriculture: Farming that restores soil health, reduces water use, stores carbon, and protects biodiversity, unlike intensive agriculture.
34. Renewable energy: Energy from wind, solar, water, and geothermal sources; clean and sustainable, it must replace fossil fuels.
35. Resilience: A community’s ability to manage, mitigate, and recover from climate impacts, requiring training, early warnings, and low-carbon societies.
36. Rewilding: Restoring ecosystems by allowing nature to regenerate, reintroducing key species to absorb CO2 and adapt to climate change.
37. Tipping point: Thresholds where climate changes become irreversible, like ice sheet collapse or permafrost thawing, threatening humanity.
38. Transparency: Clear reporting and monitoring of climate commitments to ensure accountability and trust.
39. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): 1994 treaty with 198 parties to prevent dangerous climate interference, parent to the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, managing COP and NDCs.
40. Weather & Climate: Atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place, including temperature, humidity, rain, clouds, wind, and visibility. Average weather patterns over long periods (30+ years), reflecting the climate system’s overall state.

> Learn more about these definitions in The Climate Dictionary, developed by UNDP.

Act for the environment with KidsEdu

KidsEdu encourages children and families to use the climate dictionary to understand and act for the environment. From recycling to supporting renewable energy, every small step builds a greener future. Share the climate dictionary to spread awareness! UNDP’s Climate Dictionary, shared by KidsEdu, is an excellent tool to educate children about the environment. Let’s equip the next generation with knowledge and actions for a sustainable planet!

You can read more: KidsEdu STEM thematic focus: The ABCs of climate change handbook for young learners