Glossary

Agroecology

Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment while also addressing the need for socially equitable food systems within which people can exercise choice over what they eat and how and where it is produced.

 

SOURCE: https://www.fao.org/agroecology/overview/en/

Baseload power

Baseload power is the minimum demand on an electrical grid over a span of time. This demand can be met by power plants, dispatchable generation, or by smaller intermittent energy sources, depending on costs, availability, and reliability. The remainder of demand (time-variable) is met by dispatchable generation (load following power plants, peaking power plants, or energy storage).

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Bio-based

The term bio-based is typically used with regard to products and services based on biomass.

Biodiversity loss

Biodiversity loss includes not only the worldwide extinction of different species, but also the local reduction or loss of species abundance in a certain habitat.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Bioeconomy

The bioeconomy covers the industrial and economic sectors that produce or process biomass feedstocks or use biological resources for food, materials or energy, plus their associated services.

 

SOURCE: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.701509/full

Bioenergy

Bioenergy is energy derived from any form of biomass or its metabolic by-products. Bioenergy comprises the heat, electricity, cooling, and transport fuels produced from biomass.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Biofuel

A biofuel is a solid, liquid, or gaseous energy carrier, based on biomass, that can provide heat, electricity, or transport services.

Biogenic

A biogenic substance is one that is derived from biomass.

Biomass

Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals.

 

Biomass sources for energy include:

 

  • Wood and wood harvesting and processing residues and wastes—firewood, wood pellets, and wood chips, lumber and furniture mill sawdust and waste, and black liquor from pulp and paper mills
  • Agricultural crops, residues and waste materials—corn, soybeans, sugar cane, switchgrass, woody plants, and algae, and crop and food processing residues—mostly to produce biofuels
  • Biogenic materials in municipal solid waste—paper, cotton, and wool products, and food, yard, and wood wastes
  • Animal manure and human sewage for producing biogas/renewable natural gas

 

SOURCE: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)

BECCS is the process of capturing and storing CO2 from processes that use biomass feedstocks to produce heat, electricity, or biofuels (e.g., in biomass combustion, gasification, biogas plants, ethanol plants, pulp mills for paper production; lime kilns for cement production; and biorefineries). Biomass absorbs CO2 as it grows, releasing it during processing or burning. The released CO2 is captured and injected into storage such as deep geological formations, thus removing it from the natural carbon cycle.

 

SOURCE: IEA

Biorefining

Biorefining is the processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, heat), using a wide variety of conversion technologies in an integrated manner.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

CCS is a process in which a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial and energy- related sources is separated (captured), conditioned, compressed, and transported to a storage location for long-term isolation from the atmosphere. Sometimes referred to as carbon dioxide capture and storage, or carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU)

CCU is a process in which CO2 is captured and then used to produce a new product. If the CO2 is stored in a product for a climate-relevant time horizon, this is referred to as carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS). Only then, and only combined with CO2 recently removed from the atmosphere, can CCUS lead to carbon dioxide removal. CCU is sometimes referred to as carbon dioxide capture and use.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

CFossil fuel use is the primary source of CO2, but the gas can also be emitted from direct human- induced impacts on forestry and other land use, such as deforestation, land clearing for agriculture, and degradation of soils. Likewise, land use can also remove CO2 from the atmosphere through reforestation, improvement of soils, and other activities. CO2 makes up the majority of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and is therefore the primary driver of global climate change.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)

CDR covers anthropogenic activities that remove CO2 from the atmosphere before durably storing it in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. It includes existing and potential anthropogenic enhancement of biological or geochemical sinks and direct air capture and storage, but excludes natural CO2 uptake not directly caused by human activities.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Carbon intensity

Carbon intensity is the amount of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) released per unit of another variable such as gross domestic product (GDP), output energy use, or transport.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Cascadic use/ Cascadic chain

Cascadic use or a cascadic chain refers to the reuse, at least once, of biomass materials that have already been processed into a bio-based final product for energy purposes or use as a material.

 

SOURCE: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/1410/publikationen/2017-06-13_texte_53-2017_biokaskaden_summary.pdf

Circular bioeconomy

A circular bioeconomy is a new economic model that emphasises the use and reuse of renewable natural capital; it focuses on minimising waste, increasing circular material use, and replacing the wide range of non-renewable, fossil-based products currently in use with renewable bio-based products.

 

SOURCE: https://www.cifor.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Flyer%20-%20Knowledge%20Guide_Circular%20Bioeconomy-v4.pdf

Circular economy

A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible to extend the life cycle of products. This is a departure from the traditional, linear economic model, which is based on a take–make–consume–throw away pattern.

Climate change

Contemporary climate change refers to both global warming and its impacts on Earth’s climate and weather patterns.

 

SOURCE: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/3/2019/12/SROCC_FullReport_FINAL.pdf

CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) emissions

A CO2 equivalent is a metric measure used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential, by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential.

 

SOURCE: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Carbon_dioxide_equivalent

Commoditisation

Commoditisation is the creation of an interchangeable and standardized or certified good which is traded on a transparent and efficient physical market allowing for equilibrating price dynamics.

Decentralization

Decentralisation is a process whereby activities are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. Concepts of decentralisation are applied to political science, law, public administration, economics, and technology.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is a process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Feedstock

Feedstocks are raw materials before processing/conversion.

Geographic information system (GIS)

A GIS is a type of database containing geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with software tools for managing, analysing, and visualising those data.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Greenhouse gas (GHG)

Greenhouse gases are those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself and by clouds. This property causes the greenhouse effect. Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are the primary GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere. Moreover, there are a number of entirely human-made GHGs in the atmosphere, such as the halocarbons and other chlorine- and bromine-containing substances, dealt with under the Montreal Protocol. Besides CO2, N2O and CH4, the Kyoto Protocol deals with the GHGs sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

 

SOURCE: IPCC

GHG emission intensity

GHG emission intensity is the emission rate of a given pollutant relative to the intensity of a specific activity, or an industrial production process; for example, grams of carbon dioxide released per megajoule of energy produced.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Landscape management

Landscape management, from a perspective of sustainable development, comprises actions to ensure the regular upkeep of a landscape, so as to guide and harmonise changes brought about by social, economic, and environmental processes.

 

SOURCE: https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/landscape-management 

Life-cycle assessment (LCA)

Life-cycle assessment is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or service. For instance, for a manufactured product, environmental impacts are assessed from raw material extraction and processing, through manufacturing, distribution and use, to the recycling or final disposal of the materials.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Low carbon intensity fuel

A low carbon intensity fuel is an energy carrier with a low content of fossil-based carbon or energy from a lifecycle analysis perspective.

Mixed waste

Mixed waste is any combination of waste types with different properties. Commercial and municipal wastes are typically mixtures of plastics, metals, glass, and biodegradable waste, including paper and textiles.

 

SOURCE: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/waste-resources/waste-management/waste-types/commercial-municipal-waste

Modern bioenergy

Modern bioenergy refers to biomass use alongside modern heating technologies, power generation and transport fuels. It excludes traditional uses of biomass in simple pit fires and inefficient heating devices.

 

SOURCE: IRENA, IEA

Negative emissions technologies (NET)

Negative emissions technologies remove GHG gases from Earth’s atmosphere and store them on a permanent or long-term basis. Most NET are CDR, as CO2 is the major GHG gas. NETs include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), reforestation, forest management, wood use, soil management (e.g. with biochar) and direct air capture.

 

SOURCE: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/topics/climate/info-specialists/emission-reduction/negative-emissions-technologies.html

Post-consumer wood

Post-consumer wood is woody material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been discarded for disposal or recovery, having completed its life as a consumer item.

 

SOURCE: https://www.lawinsider.com/

Residues

Residues are divided into four subcategories: agricultural, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, and processing residues. Residues can be used for further processing, for energy recovery (via combustion, gasification, pyrolysis) or disposed of.

 

SOURCE: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/node/9345_pt

Scaling effect (economy of scale)

Economies of scale are the cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to increasing their scale of operation.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Sustainable

Sustainability has been defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED, 1987). There are three pillars of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental.

 

SOURCE: UN

Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production practices aiming at environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. The overall goal is to meet society’s present food and textile needs, without compromising their availability for future generations.

 

SOURCE: https://sustainableagriculture.net/about-us/what-is-sustainable-ag/

Sustainable avenues

Scenarios/Pathways/Strategies on how to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Sustainable bioenergy

Sustainable modern bioenergy systems are those that meet the following criteria:

 

  • Technical merit, including technological soundness and accessibility of technology;
  • Financial and economic merit, including cost-effectiveness, sound cost–benefit ratios, and coherence with local and national development priorities; and
  • Ecological soundness, bearing in mind that traditional biomass use is not sustainable; that modern bioenergy can be sustainable; and that sustainable bioenergy is always modern bioenergy.

 

SOURCE: Food and Agriculture  Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED, 1987) and balances social, economic and environmental concerns.

 

SOURCE: IPCC

Sustainable forest management

Sustainable forest management is defined as: “The stewardship and use of forest lands in a way and at a rate that maintains their productivity, biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil now and in the future relevant ecological, economic and social functions at local, national and global levels and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems.”

 

SOURCE: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/related-industries/forest-based-industries/sustainable-forest-management_en

Technology readiness levels (TRL)

TRLs are a method of estimating the maturity of technologies. The following definition was used by the European Commission for the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015:

 

TRL 1 – basic principles observed

TRL 2 – technology concept formulated

TRL 3 – experimental proof of concept

TRL 4 – technology validated in lab

TRL 5 – technology validated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)

TRL 6 – technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)

TRL 7 – system prototype demonstration in operational environment

TRL 8 – system complete and qualified

TRL 9 – actual system proven in operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies; or in space)

 

SOURCE: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/annexes/h2020-wp1415-annex-g-trl_en.pdf

Traditional bioenergy/ traditional use of biomass

Traditional bioenergy/use of biomass refers to the burning of woody biomass or charcoal or agricultural residues in simple fire pit stoves and other inefficient heating devices, and is still a major element in many developing and emerging economies. 

 

SOURCE: IRENA

Transport biofuel

Transport biofuel is produced from biomass and burned in vehicle engines to provide transport services; it may be liquid or gaseous.

Variable renewable energy (VRE) sources

Variable renewable energy sources are ones that that are not dispatchable due to their fluctuating nature, such as wind and solar power; this is in contrast to controllable renewable energy sources, such as dammed hydroelectricity or bioenergy, or relatively constant sources, such as geothermal energy.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Waste

Waste is any substance which is discarded after use, or is worthless, defective, and of no use. Examples include municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, radioactive waste. Depending on their origin, wastes are used for energy recovery (via incineration) or disposed of.

 

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

  • Agroecology
  • Baseload power
  • Bio-based
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Bioeconomy
  • Bioenergy
  • Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)
  • Biofuel
  • Biogenic
  • Biomass
  • Biorefining
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  • Carbon capture and utilization (CCU)
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
  • Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)
  • Carbon intensity
  • Cascadic use/ Cascadic chain
  • Circular bioeconomy
  • Circular economy
  • Climate change
  • CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) emissions
  • Commoditisation
  • Decentralization
  • Eutrophication
  • Feedstock
  • Geographic information system (GIS)
  • GHG emission intensity
  • Greenhouse gas (GHG) 
  • Landscape management
  • Life-cycle assessment (LCA)
  • Low carbon intensity fuel
  • Mixed waste
  • Modern bioenergy
  • Negative emissions technologies (NET)
  • Post-consumer wood
  • Residues
  • Scaling effect (economy of scale)
  • Sustainable
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Sustainable avenues
  • Sustainable bioenergy
  • Sustainable development
  • Sustainable forest management
  • Technology readiness levels (TRL)
  • Traditional bioenergy/ traditional use of biomass
  • Transport biofuel
  • Variable renewable energy (VRE) sources
  • Waste