Sustainability 
Glossary Of Sustainability Terms
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To establish a baseline understanding of sustainability and other relevant phrases for the promotional products industry, PPAI has assembled the following list of commonly used terms and definitions, as well as common standards and certifying agencies.
A
Adaptation
Adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climate-related stimuli and their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
Anthropogenic
Adjective describing environmental change caused or influenced by human actions, whether directly or indirectly.
B
A certification for businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
Better Cotton
The Better Cotton Initiative (aka BCI or Better Cotton) is the largest cotton sustainability program in the world. This nonprofit, multistakeholder governance group promotes standards in cotton farming and practices across 22 countries, accounting for nearly a quarter of global cotton production.
Biodegradable
Capable of being naturally broken down by living organisms, reducing environmental impact.
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It includes the diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
Biofuel
A type of energy derived from renewable plant and animal materials, such as ethanol from corn or biodiesel from used cooking oil.
The bluesign system is a globally recognized supply chain management protocol and network designed to eliminate harmful substances in the textile manufacturing process from start to finish. The organization sets control standards for environmentally friendly and safe production, and its experts independently verify environmental claims on products and business practices to grant labels indicating that a product meets strict environmental and worker safety standards.
C
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)
The metric used to account for the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases from both natural and human sources, expressed as the amount of CO2 that would have the same global warming potential.
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
Not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts.
Carbon Emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions stem from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement. CO2 is the most common greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Carbon Footprint
A measure of total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
Carbon Neutral
Policy of not increasing carbon emissions and achieving carbon reduction through offsets.
Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition
A group of over 250 global brands, retailers, and manufacturers, as well as government, nonprofit environmental organizations, and academic institutions, working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products.
Circular Action Alliance (CAA)
As of November 2024, CAA is the only producer responsibility organization approved to implement U.S. EPR laws for paper and packaging (see EPR, PRO entries).
Circular Economy
A structure where investments are made in advanced technologies related to material science, product design, recycling, and manufacturing, leading to a zero-waste “closed loop” system in which resources are not wasted.
Climate Change
Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole.
Compostable
Able to be decomposed into nutrient-rich soil by microorganisms in a composting environment, promoting sustainable waste management. There are differences in the capabilities of municipal composting facilities, as well as products that are compostable commercially or at home.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate social responsibility refers to a company considering its social and environmental impact in addition to economic performance. CSR is also known as corporate citizenship, corporate accountability or corporate responsibility. CSR covers four categories: environmental, philanthropic, ethical and economic responsibility.
A globally recognized measure of safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy. Products are assessed for environmental and social performance across five critical sustainability categories.
Cradle To Grave
Describes the entire life cycle of a product, from its design and creation (cradle) to its disposal (grave), including all stages in between, such as manufacturing, distribution, use and eventual disposal (or recycling.)
D
Decarbonization
The process of reducing CO2e emissions from energy and other sources.
E
Eco-friendly
Eco-friendly is an umbrella term indicating that a product or process is not harmful to the environment. However, the FTC (U.S.) and Canada have strict guidelines on such claims (see Green Guides entry), requiring an explanation of how or why a product is environmentally responsible. “Eco-friendly” and other vague descriptors are considered greenwashing if not accompanied by specific data to back up the claim.
EcoVadis provides business sustainability ratings to companies worldwide. It helps companies manage ESG risk and compliance and meet corporate sustainability goals using international sustainability standards such as the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000.
Energy Efficiency
The goal to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. Energy-efficient homes, buildings, and products help conserve energy and reduce emissions.
A program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes energy efficiency. Products that meet certain criteria earn the Energy Star label.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
ESG stands for environmental, social and governance, and it is a framework for evaluating an organization’s business practices and performance on various sustainability and ethical issues. It also provides a way to measure business risks and opportunities. Corporate ESG efforts include measures to reduce emissions and waste, as well as to recruit a diverse and inclusive workforce.
ESG ratings help stakeholders understand how well a company is managing sustainability risks and opportunities, and this information can help guide companies to broaden their focus beyond financial performance and emphasize the importance of environmental and social responsibility.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
An environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. This can include both financial responsibility and operational responsibility. Most EPR programs require producers to join a producer responsibility organization (see PRO entry) that develops a plan and manages the disposal of materials.
- S.: As of November 2024, five states have passed legislation on EPR for packaging – California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon – and 10 more have introduced bills. California has passed legislation on EPR for textiles as well.
- Canada: Canada’s EPR laws for packaging require obligated producers to join PROs, report packaging data and pay fees to sell their products in most provinces. Each province manages its own program.
F
The Fair Labor Association is a nonprofit collaborative effort of universities, civil society organizations, and businesses dedicated to improving working conditions in factories around the world and promoting adherence to international and national labor laws.
Fair Trade
Fair trade refers to a way of producing, buying and selling goods that ensures decent working conditions and a fair wage/price for the people who produce them. The fair trade movement encompasses various standards, certifications and organizations that promote improved social and environmental standards, particularly in developing nations.
Fair Trade Certification
A product certification system that aims to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. Certifying organizations include Fair for Life, Fair Trade Certified, and Fairtrade America.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
An international nonprofit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests via timber certification.
G
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
An international certification that ensures the organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing, to labeling, providing a credible assurance to consumers.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their environmental and social impacts by providing them with the global common language to communicate those impacts.
Last updated in 2012, the FTC’s guidance for the use of environmental marketing claims is designed to help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that are unfair or deceptive (see Greenwashing entry).
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that absorb energy and cause a greenhouse (warming) effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol
Comprehensive global standardized frameworks to measure and manage GHG emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains, and mitigation actions.
Greenwashing
Greenwashing is a blanket term for unsupported claims about the environmental benefits of a company’s products or services. In 2024, the Canadian government amended the country’s Competition Act to put the burden of proof on businesses to ensure they can validate claims of benefiting the environment. It specifically outlaws public claims about a product’s environmental benefits that cannot be backed up by testing.
H
Habitat Conservation
A practice that seeks to conserve, protect, and restore habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially to prevent extinction, fragmentation, or reduction in range.
Higg Index / Higg Materials Sustainability Index / Higg MSI
This tool was developed to measure and evaluate the environmental impact of different materials used in the apparel and footwear industries. It provides a standardized method for assessing the sustainability of materials by considering various factors such as resource use, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and chemical impact so that businesses can make more informed decisions in selecting and sourcing materials to promote greater sustainability throughout the supply chain.
I
International Labour Organization (ILO)
This United Nations agency brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programs that promote social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights and to develop cooperation in intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
ISO is a global, nongovernmental membership organization that promotes the development of voluntary standards and related activities to facilitate the international exchange of goods and services, and to develop cooperation in intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
- ISO 14001 – An international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system. It provides a framework that an organization can follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements.
- ISO 26000 – An international standard intended to assist organizations in contributing to sustainable development and to promote common understanding in the field of social responsibility.
- ISO 50001 – An international standard for energy management systems, helping organizations to improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)
A standard-setting body (administered by the IFRS Foundation) whose mandate is the creation and development of sustainability-related financial reporting standards to meet investors’ needs.
K
This international treaty, which took effect in 2005, extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The U.S. signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998, but Congress never ratified it.
In 2001, the U.S. withdrew its signature because it was thought unfair to require only industrialized nations to limit emissions. However, the Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for the more inclusive Paris Agreement, which the U.S. formally rejoined in 2021 (see Paris Agreement entry).
L
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
A globally recognized framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving “green” buildings.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
A tool for the systematic evaluation of the environmental aspects of a product or service system through all stages of a product’s life cycle.
M
Mitigation
Efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases. It can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior.
N
Net Zero
Making changes upstream to reduce carbon emissions to the lowest amount – and purchasing offsets as a last resort.
O
A certification system for textiles that ensures they are tested for harmful substances and produced in environmentally friendly and socially responsible conditions, providing consumers with high safety and sustainability standards.
Offsets
A reduction or removal of emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.
P
This international treaty on climate change was adopted at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December 2015. The treaty covers climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance, with a goal of keeping the increase in the global average temperature below 2°C “above pre-industrial levels” and pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C by the end of this century to prevent far more severe climate change impacts such as severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall. (See Kyoto Protocol entry.)
Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)
Most EPR programs require producers to join a collective producer responsibility organization (see EPR entry) to plan and manage end-of-life handling for the covered products and materials. PROs are typically required to be nonprofit, and in most EPR programs producers pay fees to the PRO, which then distributes the funds to cover the costs. (See CAA entry.)
R
Certification awarded to farms, forests, and businesses that meet rigorous environmental and social standards, helping to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods.
Recyclable
Describes a material or product that can be collected, processed and used again in the production of new materials or products.
Renewable
Capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices. Often referring to resources or energy, this term does not always equate to a product or process being sustainable.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
Tradable energy certificates in the U.S. that represent 1 MWh of electricity generated from an eligible renewable energy resource and fed into the shared system of power.
S
Science Based Targets
Targets aligned to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement that provide a clearly defined pathway for companies to reduce GHG emissions.
Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
An organization that helps companies set greenhouse has emission reduction targets in line with the latest climate science to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange)
A global membership organization that provides a platform for companies to share data on ethical and responsible business practices within their supply chain, helping to improve transparency and drive improvement in labor rights, health and safety, the environment, and business ethics. Known for its SMETA audit, a widely used methodology that assesses a company’s adherence to ethical standards.
Sustainability
Efforts taken toward reducing the negative impact of an organization’s operations on the environment, society and economy. PPAI officially defines sustainability in the promotional products industry as “making, sourcing and distributing promotional items in ways that reduce negative environmental and social impacts while supporting long-term economic success.” More online at https://www.ppai.org/sustainability/.
Sustainability Report
The key method for transparently conveying an organization’s economic, environmental and social performance, as well as showcasing its commitment to sustainable practices.
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
The International Sustainability Standards Board (administered by the IFRS Foundation) maintains the SASB Standards. Available for 77 industries, the SASB Standards identify the sustainability-related risks and opportunities most likely to affect an entity’s cash flows, access to finance and cost of capital and the disclosure topics and metrics most relevant to investors.
Sustainable Apparel Coalition (now Cascale)
(See Cascale entry.)
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
An international nonprofit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests via timber certification.
T
Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)
A zero-waste certification program dedicated to measuring, improving, and recognizing zero waste performance.
U
A call to all companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, and take action to advance societal goals.
United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights
A short series of questions to which any company should have answers, both to know whether it is doing business with respect for human rights and to show others the progress it is making. Access the document here.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 global goals adopted by U.N. member states to address social, economic and environmental challenges. The SDGs aim to achieve a more sustainable and equitable world by 2030, covering areas such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water and climate action.
V
Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM)
A market where carbon credits are bought and sold on a voluntary basis, as opposed to mandatory compliance markets.
W
Water Footprint
The total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual, community, or business.
Water Stewardship Standard (AWS)
A framework for major water users to understand their water use and impacts, and to work collaboratively and transparently for sustainable water management within a catchment context. The standard is a technical document that is the copyright of the Alliance for Water Stewardship.
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)
A global nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing practices in the apparel, footwear and sewn products sectors. WRAP certifies facilities that comply with its 12 principles, which encompass labor practices, health and safety standards, environmental management, and legal compliance.
Waste Management
The process of treating solid waste and offering a variety of solutions for recycling items that don’t belong in the trash to divert them from landfills.
Z
Zero Waste
The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.
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