If you've ever glanced at climate news during COP and felt like you need a translator, you're not alone. The annual UN climate conference comes with its own language, a mix of diplomatic speak, technical terms, and acronyms that can make your head spin.
But whilst world leaders gather in Brazil for the upcoming COP30, the conversations happening there matter for all of us. Especially if you're running a business and trying to figure out what climate action actually means for you.
This year's COP is all about moving from promises to taking action, which is exactly what we help SMEs do with our Giki Actions platform. So, we've translated the key terms you'll hear around COP30 into plain English. Your quick guide to understanding what's really being discussed, and why it matters for your business.
Adaptation – Climate change is causing havoc, so we need a plan to deal with the storms, floods, fires (and more) when it happens.
Mitigation – Cutting emissions.
COP (Conference of the Parties) – All of the people in the room, also pretty much every country in the world.
NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) – What each country agrees they are going to do.
Just Transition – Cutting emissions needs to be fair. People losing their jobs need support or how can you expect them to support the changes needed.
Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities - Each according to their abilities and wealth.
Net Zero – No more emissions (or at least any emissions get cancelled out).
Loss and Damage – Help people and communities whose lives have been affected forever.
Tipping Points – Critical thresholds where small temperature increases trigger massive, unstoppable changes (everything from the end of coral reefs to huge sea level rises). Once we've crossed them, there's no going back...
Global Stocktake – A report card every 5 years checking if countries are actually on track to meet Paris goals (spoiler: they're not).
Paris Goals – What everyone signed up to in 2015 when the world decided we’d sort this together.
The Global Mutirão - A decentralized, bottom-up, and self-organizing mobilization of climate solutions. Otherwise known as a group of people get together, roll their sleeves up, and start doing something.
This year's conference isn't just about more promises, it's about action. The agenda focuses on accelerating the implementation of goals that have already been negotiated. That means the pressure's on for everyone, including businesses, to show what they're actually doing.
The good news? Taking action doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Many carbon reduction steps save money whilst cutting emissions. And you don't need to wait months to create a plan, with the right tools (ahem Giki Actions), you can identify relevant actions for your business in minutes.
Giki Actions helps SMEs quickly uncover actions to cut carbon through our 60-minute workshops. Whether you're just starting out or looking to enhance what you're already doing, we'll guide you step-by-step through creating a custom sustainability plan. No preparation required, just join virtually with other SMEs focused on taking action, and leave with a concrete plan you can actually use. Find out more about our workshops.