Sustainable Marketing Glossary: Terms & Definitions
Want to stay on top of the most important sustainable marketing terms? We've got you covered! Explore our sustainable marketing glossary below and stay informed on all things eco-friendly and impactful in communications.
B
Biodiversity-Friendly Marketing
Promoting products or services that contribute to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.
C
Carbon-Conscious Content Creation
Developing and promoting content with a focus on minimizing environmental impact, such as using energy-efficient methods or green servers.
Carbon Disclosure
The practice of publicly reporting a company’s carbon emissions and sustainability efforts.
Carbon Footprint Calculator
A tool used to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with a company's digital operations.
Carbon Footprint Marketing
Highlighting a product’s or company’s efforts to reduce or offset its carbon emissions in marketing campaigns.
Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategy
A comprehensive plan for minimizing an organization's carbon emissions, often including digital sustainability initiatives.
Carbon Labeling
Including information on product packaging about the carbon emissions associated with its production, transportation, and usage.
Carbon Negative
A state where a company or activity removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits.
Carbon Neutral
A state where a company or process balances carbon emissions with carbon offsetting or reduces emissions to zero.
Carbon Offsetting
Compensating for carbon emissions by funding projects that reduce carbon in the atmosphere, such as reforestation or renewable energy.
Carbon Pricing
Charging companies for the carbon emissions they produce, encouraging them to reduce their carbon footprint.
Carbon Reduction Campaigns
Marketing initiatives focused on a company’s or product’s effort to lower its carbon emissions and environmental impact.
Cause Marketing
A form of marketing where a company aligns its brand with a specific cause or social issue, often related to sustainability.
Circular Economy
A system where resources are reused, repaired, and recycled to minimize waste and environmental impact.
Circular Economy Marketing
Highlighting a brand’s role in the circular economy, where products are reused, recycled, or repurposed to minimize waste.
Climate-Neutral Certification
Promoting products or services that have achieved carbon neutrality by offsetting all associated emissions.
Cloud Sustainability
Minimizing the environmental impact of cloud computing by using energy-efficient data centers and renewable energy sources.
Conscious Consumerism
A movement where consumers prioritize products and companies with ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible practices.
D
Data Center Efficiency
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measures the energy efficiency of a data center. The closer the PUE is to 1, the more efficient it is.
Digital Carbon Footprint
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the use of digital devices, data centers, and internet services.
Digital Circularity
A model where digital devices and services are designed for reuse and recycling to minimize waste.
Digital Decarbonization
Efforts to reduce carbon emissions within the digital ecosystem, including in software development, data storage, and internet usage.
Digital Decarbonization Campaigns
Marketing efforts aimed at showcasing a company’s strategies to reduce its digital carbon footprint.
Digital Detox
A period of time when a person refrains from using digital devices, reducing both energy consumption and environmental impact.
Digital Energy Consumption
The amount of energy used by digital devices, data centers, and online services, including electricity required to power and cool them.
Digital Sustainability
Practices aimed at reducing the environmental impact of digital technologies while maintaining their benefits for society and business.
Digital Minimalism
The practice of reducing digital activity to lessen energy consumption and environmental impact.
Digital Resource Efficiency
Maximizing the use of digital resources while minimizing waste and environmental impact.
E
Edge Computing
Processing data closer to its source to reduce energy use in long-distance data transfer and lower latency.
Eco-Branding
Building a brand identity that emphasizes sustainability, eco-friendly products, and ethical practices.
Eco-Conscious Rebranding
Overhauling a brand’s identity to align with sustainability goals, emphasizing environmental and social responsibility.
Eco-Friendly Certifications
Highlighting third-party certifications (e.g., Energy Star, LEED, FSC) to build credibility for sustainability claims.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
Promoting the use of recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable packaging materials as part of a brand’s sustainability efforts.
Eco-Literacy
The ability of consumers and businesses to understand the environmental impact of their purchasing and production decisions.
Eco-Transparency
A company’s practice of openly sharing its environmental impact, including successes and areas for improvement.
Energy Efficient Algorithms
Developing algorithms designed to perform tasks with minimal energy consumption, especially in AI and big data.
Energy Star
A certification that indicates an electronic product is energy-efficient and meets sustainability standards.
ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance)
A framework used to evaluate a company's performance on environmental, social, and governance factors, which are key to sustainable business practices.
ESG Communications
Communicating a company's efforts in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas to stakeholders, including consumers and investors.
Ethical Consumerism
Targeting consumers who prioritize ethical practices such as fair trade, cruelty-free, and environmentally friendly products.
Ethical Marketing
Marketing practices that promote transparency, honesty, and fairness, especially concerning environmental and social impact.
Ethical Sourcing
Promoting products made from materials or ingredients that are responsibly sourced, with minimal harm to the environment or people.
F
Fair Trade Marketing
Promoting products made in accordance with fair trade standards that ensure ethical labor practices and environmental sustainability.
G
Green Call to Action (CTA)
Encouraging consumers to take eco-friendly actions, such as recycling, reducing energy consumption, or supporting green initiatives.
Green Cloud
Cloud computing services that are powered by renewable energy and designed to minimize environmental impact.
Green Computing
The practice of designing, using, and disposing of computers and associated systems in an environmentally responsible way.
Green Hosting
Web hosting providers that use renewable energy or offset carbon emissions to run their data centers.
Green IT Audit
An assessment of an organization’s IT operations to identify areas where energy use and carbon emissions can be reduced.
Green Loyalty Programs
Rewarding consumers for making eco-friendly purchases or reducing their environmental impact through brand loyalty programs.
Green Marketing
Promoting products or services based on their environmental benefits or sustainability practices.
Green Networking
Designing and operating communication networks with energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in mind.
Green Product Lifecycle
Communicating the sustainable practices throughout a product’s lifecycle, from raw materials to end-of-life disposal.
Greenwashing
A deceptive marketing practice where a company falsely claims its products or services are environmentally friendly.
Greenwashing Radar
A term used by consumers and watchdog groups to detect and call out companies engaging in misleading sustainability claims.
I
Impact Marketing
Marketing that emphasizes a brand's tangible, positive impact on the environment or society.
L
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Marketing the results of an LCA to show a product’s environmental impact across its entire lifecycle.
Low-Impact Advertising
Advertising methods that aim to minimize digital carbon footprints by reducing data-heavy content and using energy-efficient platforms.
Low Power Mode
A setting on digital devices that reduces energy consumption by limiting background tasks and lowering performance.
N
Net-Zero Emissions
A balance between the amount of greenhouse gases produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
P
Plastic-Free Pledge
Marketing campaigns focused on a brand's commitment to eliminating plastic from packaging and products.
Purpose-Driven Branding
Aligning a brand’s marketing strategy with a core purpose that includes environmental or social responsibility.
R
Regenerative Marketing
Promoting practices that not only sustain but also restore or improve the environment through business operations.
Renewable Energy Credits
Certificates proving that a company has invested in renewable energy sources to offset their carbon footprint.
Renewable Energy Marketing
Highlighting the use of renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind) in product production or company operations.
Responsible Data Storage
Optimizing data storage practices to minimize energy use, including deleting unnecessary data and using energy-efficient data centers.
Responsible Innovation
Developing digital technologies in ways that consider their long-term impact on the environment and society.
Responsible Innovation Marketing
Highlighting sustainable innovations in product design or services that reduce environmental or social harm.
S
Smart Grid
An energy network that uses digital technology to monitor, predict, and optimize energy consumption, including for digital services.
Social Impact Marketing
Campaigns that promote a brand’s positive impact on society and the environment, aligning with consumers’ values.
Socially Responsible Computing
Developing and using digital technologies with a focus on ethical and sustainable practices.
Social Sustainability
Highlighting a company’s commitment to fair labor practices, human rights, and community development in marketing campaigns.
Sustainability Metrics
Promoting a company’s measurable environmental and social performance indicators in marketing materials.
Sustainability Pioneers
Promoting a brand or individuals within a company as leaders in environmental and social sustainability efforts.
Sustainability Storytelling
Crafting narratives that highlight a brand's sustainability efforts, connecting with environmentally conscious audiences.
Sustainable Advertising
Advertising that minimizes environmental impact by using energy-efficient platforms and avoiding unnecessary data transfer.
Sustainable AI
AI applications designed to minimize energy use and environmental impact, particularly in energy-intensive machine learning processes.
Sustainable Content Delivery
Using energy-efficient methods for delivering digital content, including optimized servers and caching.
Sustainable Data Management
Optimizing data storage, transfer, and processing to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.
Sustainable Digital Marketing
Implementing marketing strategies that minimize energy consumption and reduce the digital carbon footprint.
Sustainable Digital Transformation
Integrating sustainable practices into a company’s digital transformation strategy to reduce environmental impact.
Sustainable Fashion Marketing
Promoting fashion brands that use ethical sourcing, eco-friendly materials, and fair labor practices.
Sustainable Influencer Marketing
Partnering with influencers who advocate for environmental and social responsibility to promote eco-conscious products or campaigns.
Sustainable Software Development
Developing software in ways that minimize energy consumption and resource use throughout its lifecycle.
Sustainable IT Policy
Corporate policies focused on reducing the environmental impact of IT operations, including hardware, software, and energy use.
Sustainable Procurement
Choosing vendors and suppliers based on their environmental and social impact, especially in tech services.
Sustainable User Interface
Designing digital interfaces in a way that reduces energy consumption, such as optimizing for lower data usage.
Sustainable Web Design
Designing websites that are energy-efficient by reducing file sizes, optimizing images, and improving load times.
T
Transparent Sustainability Claims
Providing clear, verifiable claims about a product's environmental or social benefits to build trust with consumers.
U
Upcycled Products
Marketing products made from repurposed materials that would otherwise be discarded, reducing waste.
V
Virtual Meeting Sustainability
Reducing the environmental impact of online meetings by using energy-efficient platforms and limiting data transfer.
Virtualization
The creation of virtual versions of physical hardware, reducing the number of servers needed and thus lowering energy consumption.
Z
Zero-Waste Marketing
Promoting products and campaigns that emphasize waste reduction and encourage a circular economy.
Zero-Waste Technology
Technology designed to have minimal environmental impact through recycling, reuse, and energy efficiency.