Glossary

In relation to green digital: inhibitors to action on green digital matters
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In relation to energy efficiency : Starting point for measurement of carbon emissions
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In relation to energy efficiency:  change in energy-consuming activity originated by, and under control of, a person or organization.
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In relation to energy efficiency: Optimum levels when measuring quantitatively
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Chemical element with the letter C as symbol. Often used to refer to the pollutant carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major contributor to climate change emitted from multiples sources, usually powered by fossil fuels such as petrol, oil and natural gas.
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Measurement of total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) of a particular entity (e.g. a city, a data centre or an individual), which is obtained by combining CO2 outputs of all equipment used over a determined period of time.
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The long term change in the earth's natural processes caused by human activity which contributed to the increase of CO₂ emissions and raise of the average atmospheric temperature which are changing weather patterns, melting polar ice and causing sea levels to rise.
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Cloud computing refers to applications and services offered over the Internet. These services are offered from data centres all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the 'cloud'.
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Measurement of total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) of a particular entity (e.g. a city, a data centre or an individual), which is obtained by combining CO2 outputs of all equipment used over a determined period of time.
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Shared set of measures comparable across cities and different data sources.
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Physical location of ICT infrastructure (e.g. servers) used to provide internet to households and businesses and other computing related needs (see cloud computing).
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A comprehensive long-term strategy, outlining a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished.

In relation to ICT:
Digital master-plan focuses on digital plan for a city.
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A form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission (e.g. hard disk drives or computer networking) of information or to the 'end product', such as digital video, software or phone apps.
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The optimum use of resources.

In relation to energy:
Energy efficiency (use) refers to the goals or efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services.
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Green Digital Charter. A EUROCITIES initiative started by the City of Manchester and Clicks and Links Ltd and supported by the European Commission, committing cities to use ICT as an enabler to significantly reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
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Method or technique that has shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark.

In relation to green digital:
Action by cities on green digital issues which has successfully reduced carbon emissions.
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The use of digital services to be more eco-friendly/green, either through using renewable energy to power digital services, using digital media to make processes more resource efficient and therefore more green, using digital services to transform processes and activities to make them more sustainable.
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A EUROCITIES initiative started by the City of Manchester and Clicks and Links Ltd and supported by the European Commission, committing cities to use ICT as an enabler to significantly reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
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A tool that aims to enable cities to highlight the ICT dimension of their efforts to reach the CoM commitments without creating separate processes and extra burden.
It is part of the set of Green Digital Charter Reporting Tools produced under the NiCE project.
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Framework document produced under the NiCE project and which will serve as reference for all the activities under the Green Digital Charter.
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Tools developed under the NiCE project to provide cities with a catalogue of recommended actions to implement the Green Digital Charter.
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A tool which provides the Charter signatories with a method based on quantitative and qualitative indicators to monitor the implementation of the Green Digital Charter.
It is part of the set of Green Digital Charter Reporting Tools produced under the NiCE project.
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Three showcase events organised under the NiCE project for signatory cities and stakeholder groups focusing on the visibility of the cities actions within the Green Digital Charter and encouraging further cities to commit.
The roadshows will highlight three different aspects of the Charter goals:
1. The Charter and EU policies and funding
2. Public-private cooperation on the Charter commitments
3. Energy & Technology
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Large European cities who have signed up to the Green Digital Charter, committing to:
- work with Green Digital Charter signatories on ICT and energy efficiency ICT
- deploying 5 large-scale pilots per city within 5 years from the signature
- decreasing ICT’s direct carbon footprint per city by 30% within 10 years
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Online space providing information on the Green Digital Charter and the NiCE project. It also give access to resources and tools to support the implementation of the Charter.
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Atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming of the Earth's surface.
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ICT which is sustainable in the production, use and disposal.
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IT which is sustainable in the production, use and disposal.
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Plan of action designing to achieve a greener approach to ICT.
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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Information Technology (IT) – essentially the same thing. IT is an older term which was replaced by ICT in 1990s. Are used interchangeably. Encompassing term referring to computing, digital media and supporting infrastructures including services.
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Measurement of CO₂ generated by an ICT infrastructure of a designated area and in a particular period of time e.g. the ICT footprint of a university, a city, a home, is the total CO₂ emissions produced through ICT related activities by that entity.
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A tool, drawing on existing international standards, to enable cities to measure, compare and report on ICT's direct carbon footprint on city level.
It is part of the set of Green Digital Charter Reporting Tools produced under the NiCE project.
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Information Technology (IT) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) – essentially the same thing. IT is an older term which was replaced by ICT in 1990s. Are used interchangeably. Encompassing term referring to computing, digital media and supporting infrastructures including services.
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Activities and resources which release little or no CO₂.
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EU-funded project to promote and support the implementation of the Green Digital Charter. The project is led by EUROCITIES in a consortium with Clicks and Links Ltd, the City of Manchester and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development.
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Networking Intelligent Cities for Energy Efficiency.
EU-funded project to promote and support the implementation of the Green Digital Charter. The project is led by EUROCITIES in a consortium with Clicks and Links Ltd, the City of Manchester and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development.
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Data freely available to everyone to use and republish without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control.
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Exploratory activities to trial ideas, tools and resources in order to report on progress and to inform future projects.

In relation to the Green Digital Charter:
signatories of the Charter commit to deploy five large-scale ICT pilots within five years from the signature.
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Reference City Group
Group of six cities in charge of supporting the NiCE project providing inputs and recommendations on the project deliverables from the perspective of policy practitioners and local decision makers.
The cities are: Bologna (IT), Eindhoven (NL), Linkoping (SE), Manchester (UK), Warsaw (PL) and Yantai (China).
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Group of six cities in charge of supporting the NiCE project providing inputs and recommendations on the project deliverables from the perspective of policy practitioners and local decision makers.
The cities are: Bologna (IT), Eindhoven (NL), Linkoping (SE), Manchester (UK), Warsaw (PL) and Yantai (China).
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A concept used to refer to an urban area that creates sustainable economic development and high quality of life by integrating and interconnecting various infrastructures and elements in multiple key areas: economy, mobility, environment, people, living, and government. Excelling in these key areas can be done so through strong human capital, social capital, and/or ICT infrastructure.
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Digitally enabled electrical grid that gathers, distributes, and acts on information about the behaviour of all participants (suppliers and consumers) in order to improve the efficiency, importance, reliability, economics, and sustainability of electricity services.
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Structured visits to leading cities in the field of ICT and energy efficiency organised under the NiCE project to showcase innovative activities around the fields of action in the Charter. The visits will be open to both Charter signatories and interested non-signatories.
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Set of documents produced by the NiCE project to provide support to cities interested in both attending and hosting the study tours. It will include a detailed catalogue of city showcases on offer and clear guidance on the necessary elements of a study tour.
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“The capacity to endure”, used both to describe the long-term viability of particular entities (e.g. a sustainable economy) AND as a general term to describe social, environmental and economic robustness.  The vagueness of the term has led to confusion in objectives and should be used with care.
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Events designed and delivered to cities by the NiCE project, based on the Green Digital Charter framework and tools. Each training will focus on different specific themes, tools or target group to allow intensive, interactive and focused learning.
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