Full Time Equivalent Employees or Staff

An Economic Sustainability Indicator. Brief Description: This identifies how many employees, or staff (especially if a voluntary organisation is being considered), are required to provide the service.

  Gaslighting

The presenting of information, often on a frequent basis, which offers an alternative opinion and interpretation of ‘facts', which are questionable at best, but which sow an element of doubt and often confusion within an individual's thinking. This can be considered a form of modern-day propaganda which is used by organisations and Governments to manipulate facts to suit their need.

  Global Warming

The increase in global average air temperatures, with a reference year of 1850 being used by the IPCC for when direct observations of temperature increases are evidenced: “The likely range of total human-caused global surface temperature increase from 1850–1900 to 2010–201911 is 0.8°C to 1.3°C, with a best estimate of 1.07°C.” (Climate Change 2021. The Physical Science Basis, IPCC, p.5, https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/)

  Global Warming Potential

An index that measures the relative impact that a greenhouse gas has compared to carbon dioxide. The more energy that is absorbed by a greenhouse gas the higher the global warming potential. The combination of the effects of different gases is often stated as carbon dioxide equivalent. Having an understanding of these impacts can help to influence procurement and management practices, aiming to minimise carbon dioxide equivalent emissions within grounds management. Some gases have a greater impact over a shorter timescale of 20-years than over 100-years.

  Grass Seed Use

An Environmental Sustainability Indicator. • Brief Description: The use of grass seed on amenity and sports turfgrass surfaces. The diversity of the species used, as against a monocrop of one species may be considered as an indicator sub-category, especially as a means to developing biodiversity. Certain characteristics of a grass species or sown turfgrass cultivar might be used as a weighted indicator, so seeds and grasses with good drought resistance (implying less water requirements during dry periods when water resources are under pressure) may be rated more highly than grasses req

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  Grasscycling

The returning of clippings during the mowing of a grassed area. A grass collection box is not used, with the clippings / cuttings being left on the sward to gradually decompose and return nutrients back into the soil. Do not cut the grass too infrequently or remove too much leaf in one go as this will result in large clumps of grass being left, which is unsightly and can smother the underlying sward. Using a mulching mower which cuts grass clippings into smaller pieces is a good option to consider where the clippings are not to be boxed off and removed, especially on surfaces that are aiming to be of a good quality.

  Green Roof

A roof on a building onto which plants are grown. The roof will typically have a waterproof membrane immediately on top of the roof, followed by a shallow drainage layer, some growing media and then the relevant plants. Where the growing medium is negligible (<50mm) then low growing drought resistant plants such as Sedum species or Sempervivum species might be grown, whilst where an intermediate depth (50-150mm) of growing material is provided then this will be suitable for taller herbaceous perennials (e.g. Achillea species) and ornamental grasses (e.g. Stipa tenuissima), whilst for the inc

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  Greenhouse Effect

The consequence, which is a rise in the average global temperature, of certain gases (i.e. greenhouse gases) within the atmosphere that absorb and emit energy (infrared radiation) originating from the sun. The greenhouse effect is enhanced by human activities, creating an undesirable positive feedback, and the difference between what would occur naturally and the difference between that which created by human activity is often called the enhanced greenhouse effect.

  Greenhouse Gas

A gas that absorbs energy from the sun (solar radiation) and also emits (or returns) so of the energy causing the greenhouse effect of global heating, global warming and climate change. The main greenhouse gases are: • Water vapour (H2O): whilst this is the largest (and a natural) contributor to the greenhouse effect, its impact is amplified by increasing air temperatures as a result of human activity, which increases the amount of water vapour within the atmosphere. • Carbon dioxide (CO2): This is the second most important gas, naturally occurring but also from human activities such as the

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  Greenwash

The projection of an image which isn't all that it seems. Some organisations will market and promote a product or process which is said to be environmentally friendly or promote their green credentials. The reality is that the clever use of words and imagery frequently hides, or tries to, a less than green image in reality.