Our sustainability & LUBRICANT glossary

AVIeCO₂

AVIeCO₂ is AVISTA OIL's concept for sustainable value creation. This is not a product, but rather a concept for the collection and processing of used oil and the use of sustainable lubricants in applications. With the help of this sustainability concept, we can reduce CO₂ emissions from lubricant production and conserve natural resources in the long term through re-refining.

Biodegradable

Property of lubricants to decompose in the environment through microorganisms.

Biogenic Lubricant

Lubricant based on renewable raw materials – e.g., vegetable oils.

Climate

Climate is a term used in meteorology to describe the composition and changes in the Earth's atmosphere over a long period of time. Climate, in turn, affects organisms on the Earth's surface through precipitation, solar radiation, temperature, etc. Climate should be distinguished from weather or weather phenomena, which describe shorter periods of time. Climate also plays an important role in choosing the right engine oil, especially in terms of viscosity. In cold regions, the oil must flow quickly to protect the engine during cold starts, while in hot regions it must not become too thin at high outside temperatures.

Climate Certificate

Confirmation of actual greenhouse gas savings through verified climate protection measures like reforestation, renewable energy use, or industrial modernization. (See also compensation measures.)

Climate Neutral

The company/process/product/service does not increase the amount of climate-damaging gases in the atmosphere, meaning that there is no additional impact on the climate. This means that the amount of greenhouse gases, particularly CO₂, that is produced is either avoided, reduced or offset by compensatory measures. (See also CO₂-neutral.)

CO₂

Carbon dioxide; a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels.

CO₂ Equivalent (CO₂ eq)

CO₂ equivalents (CO₂ eq) are a unit of measurement used to standardise the climate impact of different greenhouse gases. Every greenhouse gas has an effect on the atmosphere, contributing to an increase in temperature. In order to find a unit of measurement with which the different effects on the atmosphere can be compared with each other, the effect of carbon dioxide is used and the other greenhouse gases are put into relation to this. This means that equivalents to CO₂ are formed. See also global warming potential.

CO₂-neutral

Term used to indicate that a product, service, process or company has no negative carbon footprint. However, this does not mean that the company/process/product does not emit CO₂ and other greenhouse gases, but merely that the amount emitted has been neutralised, e.g. through offsetting certificates.

Compensation Measure

Climate-damaging processes/products/services are offset by measures that reduce greenhouse gases, e.g., reforestation or greening sealed surfaces.

Emission Certificate

A market-based instrument designed to reduce emissions of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases, thereby protecting the climate. Politicians determine the total amount of CO₂ that companies are allowed to emit. All companies that contribute to global warming through CO₂ emissions require an emissions certificate for every tonne of CO₂ emitted. These certificates can be purchased at state-organised auctions (emissions trading exchange). Companies that produce fewer emissions than they are allowed to under their certificates can sell their surplus certificates. Companies that emit more CO₂, on the other hand, must purchase additional certificates. This creates market mechanism that provides a financial incentive to reduce emissions. If CO₂ is emitted with out authorisation, penalties are payable.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication refers to the accumulation of nutrients in an ecosystem or part of an ecosystem, e.g. bodies of water. In the modern age, the term is usually understood to mean the human-induced supply of nutrients (phosphate, nitrate) from wastewater or from intensively fertilised agricultural land into water bodies. However, rising temperatures and extreme precipitation caused by climate change also contribute to eutrophication. The result is a disproportionately high proportion of nutrients in soils, water bodies and plants. In water bodies, for example, many of the aquatic plants die and sink to the bottom, where they are decomposed by microorganisms, consuming oxygen. This creates an oxygen deficiency, which causes organisms to die and the ecosystem to become unstable.

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Different greenhouse gases have different global warming potentials, known as ‘Global Warming Potential’

(GWP). This indicates the heat-absorbing effect and thus the contribution to the warming of the air layer near the ground of a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide over a certain period of time. The climate impact of carbon dioxide (GWP of CO₂ is equal to 1) serves as a benchmark, i.e. the global warming potential of other substances is measured relative to CO₂. (See also CO₂ eq.)

Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse gases are gases in the Earth's atmosphere that produce the greenhouse effect and contribute to the warming of the atmosphere. These gases store some of the heat radiation emitted by the Earth's surface after it has been warmed by the sun, instead of allowing this radiation to escape directly into space. Greenhouse gases can be natural or man-made. The best-known greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The life cycle assessment (LCA) presents the ecologically relevant characteristics of a company/process/product over its entire life cycle and is often expressed in CO₂ equivalents. The aim is to provide a holistic and quantifiable basis for assessing environmental impacts – from manufacture to disposal. However, this approach essentially fails to take into account the impact on all areas of ecology, not just those relevant to greenhouse gases.

Upcycling

Enhancement of recycling where a waste product becomes a new product with superior properties. The AVIeCO₂ process is a classic example.