CSR and regeneration glossary

154 terms on CSR, climate, nature, work and reporting, defined in a few sentences and linked to a reference source.

A

Additionality Sustainable finance

Criterion requiring that a project’s emission reductions or removals would not have occurred without the incentive created by carbon credit revenues. It is one of the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles and a requirement of the French Label Bas-Carbone; a non-additional project delivers no extra climate benefit.

See also: Carbon credit

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C

Carbon credit Sustainable finance

Certified unit representing one tonne of CO₂e reduced, avoided or removed by a project and verified under a standard (Label Bas-Carbone, Gold Standard, Verra, EU CRCF framework, etc.). Its quality depends notably on additionality, permanence and the absence of double counting. For Greencelium, buying credits is a contribution to climate action and does not cancel the buyer’s emissions.

See also: Contribution (climate, nature)

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Corporate philanthropy (France) Sustainable finance

Support given without equivalent consideration to a public-interest body. In France it generally gives entitlement to a tax reduction of 60% of the gift (article 238 bis of the General Tax Code), capped at €20,000 or 0.5% of turnover, whichever is higher.

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E

ESG (environmental, social and governance) Sustainable finance

Three families of non-financial criteria – environmental, social and governance – used mainly by investors and rating agencies to analyse a company’s practices and the related risks and opportunities. With no single methodology, ESG ratings often diverge; Regulation (EU) 2024/3005 has governed ESG rating providers since July 2026.

See also: SRI label (French socially responsible investment label)

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EU taxonomy Sustainable finance

A classification of environmentally sustainable economic activities set by Regulation (EU) 2020/852. Since 2026 a delegated act has eased its use (10% materiality threshold, shorter templates), and only companies subject to the CSRD and financial institutions must disclose its indicators.

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I

Impact investing Sustainable finance

Investment made with the intention of generating positive, measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return that may be below or in line with market rates depending on the strategy. It differs from ESG integration through intentionality, the pursuit of additionality and the measurement of results achieved.

See also: ESG (environmental, social and governance)

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Internal carbon price Sustainable finance

Monetary value a company assigns to each tonne of CO₂e it emits in order to factor the cost of carbon into its decisions. It may be notional (a shadow price applied to investment decisions) or take the form of an actual internal fee whose proceeds fund reduction or contribution actions.

See also: Contribution (climate, nature)

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P

Payment for environmental services (PES) Sustainable finance

Voluntary, contract-based remuneration paid to land managers, often farmers, in return for practices that maintain or restore ecosystem services: water quality, biodiversity, carbon storage, landscapes. In France, a public PES scheme has been funded by the water agencies since 2019 under the national Biodiversity Plan.

See also: Ecosystem services

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Physical risks Sustainable finance

Risks arising from the physical effects of climate change on assets, operations and supply chains. The TCFD distinguishes acute risks, driven by extreme events (heatwaves, floods, storms), from chronic risks, driven by gradual shifts (rising temperatures, recurring droughts, sea-level rise). They are addressed through adaptation.

See also: Climate change adaptation

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S

SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation) Sustainable finance

Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, applicable since March 2021, requiring financial market participants to disclose how they integrate sustainability risks and principal adverse impacts, and distinguishing products promoting environmental or social characteristics (Article 8) from those with a sustainable investment objective (Article 9). A review proposed in November 2025, introducing new product categories, is under negotiation.

See also: EU taxonomy

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SRI label (French socially responsible investment label) Sustainable finance

A public label created in 2016 by the French Ministry of the Economy for funds that integrate ESG criteria. Its revised framework, applicable since 1 March 2024, notably excludes companies active in coal or unconventional hydrocarbons and those launching new oil or gas projects. Awarded by accredited certification bodies, it guarantees neither financial performance nor impact.

See also: ESG (environmental, social and governance)

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T

Transition risks Sustainable finance

Financial risks arising from the shift to a low-carbon economy. The TCFD typology, taken up by IFRS S2 and ESRS E1, distinguishes policy and legal risks (carbon pricing, regulation, litigation), technology risks, market risks (changing demand, input costs) and reputational risks. They can notably impair assets that become incompatible with the transition.

See also: Physical risks

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Definitions checked in October 2026 against the sources cited. Spotted an error or a regulatory change? Report it in the Agora.

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