Glossary and abbreviations

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Geothermal: Geothermal or “earth heat” is found in the form of steam or hot water reservoirs, and even in hot rocks. When the geothermal reservoir is at a moderate temperature, this resource is used to produce the heat distributed in a heating network.
When the temperature of the geothermal reservoir is higher, it can be used to produce steam to generate electricity.
Global Compact: The Global Compact, launched by Kofi Annan in January 1999, at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, is a partnership between the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and the corporate world. According to the UN Secretary-General, the aim is “to combine the strength of markets with the authority of universal ideals” and to take into account the social and environmental impact of globalization. The 10 principles of the Global Compact state that businesses should:

Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights;
Make sure that their own companies are not complicit in human rights abuses;
Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labor;
Effectively abolish child labor;
Eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation;
Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility;
Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies;
Work against corruption.

Grab: A hydraulic shovel with four mobile “teeth” forming a pincer and used to demolish and/or handle waste and other material.
Green waste: Plant waste from gardening and landscaping activities. A distinction is made between household or garden waste, and municipal green waste produced by a municipality’s technical services.
Greenhouse effect: A natural phenomenon enabling the earth to have a livable temperature. It is due to the presence of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) in the atmosphere. However, human activities produce a great quantity of GHGs, increasing the greenhouse effect, which risks leading to climate changes and serious consequences for the planet’s future.
Greenhouse gas: Gas that absorbs part of the sun’s rays, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), tropospheric ozone (O3), CFCs and HCFCs, synthetic gases that are responsible for damaging the ozone layer, as well as CFC replacements HFC, PFC and SF6. Veolia Environmental Services’s emissions are mainly CO2 and CH4. That latter’s impact on the greenhouse effect is 21 times greater than that of CO2. The use of clean fuels, the recovery of the energy in landfill gas and the development of cogeneration are all making progress in significantly reducing the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gas emission allowances: These allowances correspond to a permit to emit one metric ton equivalent of carbon dioxide in a given period. They are allocated to energy plant operators under the implementation of the European Directives aimed at achieving Kyoto Protocol objectives.
GRI Global Reporting Initiative: A 1997 multi-party private American initiative by CERES (NGO based in Boston) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). It provides guidelines for compiling sustainable development reports taking into account environmental, social and economic aspects.
GWh: Giga Watt hour