Purpose
Make sustainability language clearer without hiding genuine disagreement or flattening differences between standards, regulation and professional practice.
About Sustainability Language
A reference for language that shapes practice
Sustainability Language helps practitioners understand what important terms mean, where definitions differ and what context is needed to use them responsibly—before a claim, decision or promise is made.
What an entry provides
A concise definition comes first. Developed entries can then show source interpretations, practical differences, context, meaning status and accepted expert contributions.
Source and publication responsibility
Sources provide evidence and contributors add expertise. AI may help research and write entries without a mandatory human-editor gate. Checked sources, recorded uncertainty and publication controls still govern what changes in the public reference.
Evidence and citation
Definitions of legal terms cite the article or section that defines them. Law pages link to the official consolidated text and show the date the entry was last verified. Claim assessments state the provision each verdict rests on. Where rules differ between jurisdictions, the difference is shown rather than reconciled away.
Scope
The reference covers three connected layers: the dictionary — the language of climate, nature, reporting, human rights, assurance, supply chains, finance and professional practice; the laws library — the ESG laws and regulations in force or approaching across the EU, UK, Switzerland, UAE and G20 members, each linked to its official text; and claims assessment — how common sustainability claims are treated under the rules of five regimes, with the validity limits and substantiation requirements for each.
Participation
Practitioners, researchers, standards specialists and affected communities can endorse a definition, suggest a precise edit or collaborate over time. Their contributions are visible where appropriate, but a suggestion never changes a public entry automatically.
Community, not crowd voting
Different kinds of experience matter. We invite people closest to the subject to identify missing context, changing practice and legitimate disagreement. Evidence and reasoning—not popularity—determine whether an entry changes.
Limit
This is an informational reference, not legal, investment, assurance or regulatory advice. Claim assessments describe the treatment of a typical use of a claim; users should check the rules and guidance that apply to their exact wording, product, market and situation.
Trust and accountability
See how the reference is maintained
The methodology explains the evidence, classification, source checks and versioning rules behind an entry. Contributor profiles show people who have chosen to make their involvement public. We are building a visible record of the expertise and constructive challenge that strengthens the portal over time.