Climate terms made simple

Adaptation

Getting ready for the changes we’re already seeing in our weather and environment – like heavier rain, hotter days, or rising seas – by finding smart, practical ways to live well despite them.

Adaptive capacity

The ability of people and communities to adjust, learn and take action as conditions change.

Carbon negative

Removing more carbon from the atmosphere than we emit.

Carbon neutral

The idea that we balance carbon dioxide emissions (that we emit the same amount of carbon as we remove).

Emissions reduction / carbon reduction

Cutting down the amount of greenhouse gases we produce.

Exposure

How close people, homes or infrastructure are to a climate hazard – like living near a floodplain or on the coast.

Hazard

A potentially harmful event caused by weather or climate, such as flooding, drought, heatwaves or storm surge.

Impact

What actually happens when a climate hazard affects people, places, or nature – for example, damaged homes or lost crops.

Maladaptation

When something meant to help with climate change ends up making things worse – for example, protecting one area in a way that increases risk for others.

Mal-mitigation

When efforts to cut emissions cause new problems — for example, planting large areas of fast-growing trees to absorb carbon, but in the process reducing biodiversity or creating new environmental hazards.

Net zero

Reducing all emissions as much as possible, then offsetting the remainder (including by buying carbon credits).

Planned relocation (or managed retreat)

Moving people and buildings out of areas that face increasing risks – like floodplains or eroding coasts – in a planned and supported way.

Mitigation

Taking action to slow down climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and protecting natural systems that absorb carbon.

Pilot

A small-scale trial used to test new ways of doing community adaptation planning — such as trying different engagement approaches, planning tools, or participatory funding methods — to learn what works best before applying it more widely.

Resilience

The strength and flexibility to cope with shocks and bounce back after challenges like floods, heatwaves, or storms.

Risk

The chance that something bad could happen from a climate hazard, like flooding or heatwaves, and how serious the consequences would be for people, homes or the environment.

Sustainability

Living and working in ways that don’t harm the planet or use up resources for future generations.

Vulnerability (or Sensitivity)

How easily people, places, or systems can be hurt when exposed to climate hazards – often shaped by social, economic or environmental factors.

Community Adaptation Planning (CAP)

A process that helps communities prepare for climate impacts in their area. It can be community-driven, where locals lead the planning with support from experts, or council-driven, where council leads the process but works closely with the community to shape decisions and priorities together.

DRR – Disaster Risk Reduction

Actions that help reduce the damage caused by natural hazards before they happen.

PARA – An adaptation framework

An adaptation framework that describes four kinds of decision: Protect, Avoid, retreat, Accommodate.

SAP - Shoreline Adaptation Plans

Plans developed by Auckland Council in collaboration with mana whenua and communities, to guide how council-owned parks, roads and other coastal assets will be managed as sea levels rise and coastal conditions change over time.