Arabic Sustainability Dictionary

Biofuel

A liquid or gaseous fuel produced from biomass, such as biodiesel, bioethanol or biogas.

Biomass

Organic material of recent biological origin, such as wood, crop residues and organic waste, used as a fuel or raw material.

Blue hydrogen

Hydrogen produced from natural gas in which most of the resulting CO2 is captured and stored.

Combined heat and power (CHP)

The simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat from a single fuel source, which raises overall efficiency.

Electrification

Replacing technologies that use fossil fuels, such as combustion vehicles and gas boilers, with electric alternatives.

Energy audit

A systematic inspection and analysis of energy use in a building or process to identify opportunities to save energy.

Energy efficiency

Using less energy to deliver the same output or service.

Energy intensity

Energy consumed per unit of output or economic activity, such as gigajoules per tonne of product or per million of revenue.

Energy management system (EnMS)

A structured framework of policies, processes and targets for continually improving energy performance, commonly certified to ISO 50001.

Energy service company (ESCO)

A company that designs and implements energy-saving projects, often financed and repaid from the resulting energy savings.

Energy storage

Systems, such as batteries or pumped hydro, that store energy for later use and help balance variable renewable generation.

Energy transition

The structural shift of energy systems from fossil fuels towards low-carbon and renewable sources.

Flaring and venting

The controlled burning (flaring) or direct release (venting) of unwanted gas, mainly in oil and gas operations; both are sources of Scope 1 emissions.

Fossil fuels

Fuels formed from ancient organic matter, namely coal, oil and natural gas, whose combustion releases CO2.

Green hydrogen

Hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, with little or no greenhouse gas emissions.

Grid emission factor

The average emissions per unit of electricity supplied by a given power grid in a given year, used in location-based Scope 2 accounting.

Guarantee of origin (GO)

An electronic certificate used in Europe that proves to final customers that a given share or quantity of energy was produced from renewable sources.

International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC)

An energy attribute certificate issued under the I-REC Standard in many countries without a national certificate system, representing 1 MWh of renewable electricity.

Levelised cost of energy (LCOE)

The average net present cost of generating electricity over a plant's lifetime, divided by its lifetime output, used to compare technologies.

Power purchase agreement (PPA)

A long-term contract under which a buyer purchases electricity, often from a specific renewable project, at an agreed price.

Renewable electricity certificate

A tradable instrument certifying that one unit of electricity (usually 1 MWh) was generated from a renewable source; it can lower market-based Scope 2 only for the same market and period.

Renewable energy

Energy from sources that are naturally replenished, such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and sustainable biomass.

Renewable share of energy

The proportion of a company's total energy consumption that comes from renewable sources.

Solar photovoltaic (PV)

Technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor cells.

Virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA)

A financial contract in which a buyer and a renewable generator settle the difference between a fixed price and the market price, with the buyer usually receiving the energy attribute certificates but not physical power.

Wind power

Electricity generated by turbines that convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical and then electrical energy.