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C - Alphabetical Listing of Selected Important Terms and Concepts in Sustainable Development
"Specifically, capacity building encompasses the country’s human, scientific, technological, organizational, institutional and resource capabilities. A fundamental goal of capacity building is to enhance the ability to evaluate and address the crucial questions related to policy choices and modes of implementation among development options, based on an understanding of environment potentials and limits and of needs perceived by the people of the country concerned".
 * Capacity-building**

//SOURCE//: (2004). //Agenda 21: Chapter 37.1 - National Mechanisms and International Cooperation for Capacity-Building in Developing Countries// [online]. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Division for Sustainable Development. Available from: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21chapter37.htm [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

“Actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in one location in order to “offset” GHG emissions occurring in a second location. As carbon dioxide is the most important GHG by volume, completely offsetting carbon dioxide emissions produces a result that is often described as “carbon neutral.”
 * Carbon Offsets**

//SOURCE//: (2008). //Sustainability: Glossary - Carbon Offsets// [online]. Vancouver 2010. Available from: http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/Sustainability/Glossary [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

“A carbon sink is a reservoir that can absorb or 'sequester' carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and include forests, soils, peat, permafrost, ocean water and carbonate deposits in the deep ocean.”
 * Carbon Sink**

//SOURCE//: (2008). //What are carbon sinks?// [online]. IETA - International Emissions Trading Association. Available from: http://www.ieta.org/ieta/www/pages/index.php?IdSitePage=124 [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

“Civil society refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organisations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organisations, community groups, women's organisations, faith-based organisations, professional associations, trades unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy group.”
 * Civil Society**

//SOURCE//: (2004). //What is civil society?// [online]. London School of Economics - Centre for Civil Society. Available from: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCS/what_is_civil_society.htm [Accessed: 07 March 2008].

OR

“The United Nations once dealt only with Governments. By now we know that peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without partnerships involving Governments, international organizations, the business community and civil society. In today’s world, we depend on each other. .” Former UN Secretary General - Kofi Annan.

//SOURCE//: (2005). //The United Nations and Civil Society// [online]. UN Web Services Section Department of Public Information. Available from: http://www.un.org/issues/civilsociety/ [Accessed: 07 March 2008].

(ALSO SEE: O’Brien, Rory (1999). P//hilosophical History of the Idea of Civil Society// [online]. Available from: [|http://www.web.net/~robrien/papers/civhist.html] [Accessed: 07 March 2008].)

“The changes to the Earth’s climate resulting from increasing concentrations in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has determined that the marked increase in GHG concentrations since pre-industrial times is the result of human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels (such as oil) land clearing and agriculture. Since GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere, the dominant change has been a rise in average temperatures globally, although there is significant variation, with larger increases at the poles.”
 * Climate Change**

//SOURCE//: (2008). //Sustainability: Glossary - Climate Change// [online]. Vancouver 2010. Available from: http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/Sustainability/Glossary [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

Agenda 21 states that: “...the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries, which is a mater of grave concern, aggravating poverty and imbalances.”
 * Consumption and Production Patterns**

//SOURCES//: (2004). //Agenda 21: Chapter 4.3 - Changing Consumption Patterns// [online]. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Division for Sustainable Development. Available from: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21chapter4.htm [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

OR

“The Soria Moria Conference (February 1994) proposed a working definition of sustainable consumption as, "the use of goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimising the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardise the needs of future generations."

//SOURCE//: //Overview of Issue and On-line Resources: Sustainable Production and Consumption// [online]. IISD - Sustainable Consumption & Production: Linkages Virtual Policy Dialog. Available from: http://www.iisd.ca/consume/overview.html [Re-accessed: 06 March 2008].

“The abuse of entrusted power for private gain.”
 * Corruption**

//SOURCE//: //About Transparency International - What is corruption?// [online]. Transparency International - the global coalition against corruption. Available from: http://www.transparency.org/about_us [Accessed: 07 March 2008].