Nine Terms You Need To Know In Climate This Year
When you’re pivoting into climate work, the jargon can feel like a secret language. NDCs, TCFD, CCUS—what do they all mean, and why do they matter for your career?
Understanding these key terms isn’t just about keeping up with industry talk. It’s about confidence in networking conversations, credibility in interviews, and clarity in figuring out where your skills fit in a fast-changing landscape.
This list breaks down the must-know climate terms of 2025—not just to help you understand them, but to use them to shape your career path.
Each is a jumping off point to do 30 minutes of research to make sure you are clear about the context and implications for you and your chosen target role.
1. NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) – The Roadmap to 1.5°C
What it is: Each country’s self-set climate targets under the Paris Agreement. Every five years, countries are required to update their NDCs, aiming for stronger commitments.
Why it matters in 2025: This is a Ratchet Year, meaning all countries must submit new NDCs that take them to 2035. If they fall short, the opportunity to limit warming to 1.5°C may slip away. This round of commitments is critical—and it’s the first time they’ll be set for 10 years instead of five.
👉 For career changers: If you’re eyeing roles in climate policy, corporate sustainability, or impact investing, understanding NDCs will help you talk knowledgably with prospective employers. As with all the acronyms on this list, consider it a seed for conversation.
2. El Niño & La Niña – Climate Cycles That Shape the Job Market (Maybe)
What they are: Natural climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that influence global temperatures and weather events.
Why they matter in 2025: Last year was a record-breaking heat year due in part to El Niño. This year, La Niña is expected, bringing temporary cooling—but not stopping climate change. Expect misleading headlines claiming the crisis is slowing down.
👉 For career changers: If you’re moving into climate risk, insurance, agriculture, or disaster resilience, understanding these cycles will be crucial for anticipating weather-related business impacts.
And in the marketing and PR world, be ready for the increase in wild allegations and denials from 'the competition'
3. TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures) – Corporate Climate Accountability
What it is: A framework requiring companies to disclose their climate-related financial risks.
Why it matters in 2025: The TCFD framework has evolved into the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board), which is now part of global financial reporting. TCFD will become mandatory in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, EU, Canada, and Japan. Climate risk professionals, ESG analysts, and finance teams will need climate scenario analysis and disclosure skills. Even if U.S. federal rules weaken under Trump, California and the EU will keep pushing for corporate climate transparency.
👉 For career changers: If you’re thinking of finance, ESG (environmental, social, governance), or corporate sustainability, fluency in TCFD and ISSB will be a must and the mandatory nature in some regions will fuel job growth.
4. CCUS & DAC – The Rise of Carbon Removal Tech
What they are: CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage) captures CO2 from industrial sources and stores it underground. DAC (Direct Air Capture) removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere.
Why they matter in 2025: Over 200 CCUS projects are being considered for private investment this year. DAC remains costly but is attracting more attention as a "hedge against failure" if emissions cuts fall short.
👉 For career changers: If you have an engineering, energy, or finance background, the surge in CCUS and DAC investment could open up new opportunities in climate tech and infrastructure development.
5. ACC2 (Advanced Clean Cars 2) – The Future of EVs in the U.S.
What it is: A California law requiring 100% of new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035.
Why it matters in 2025: Trump has vowed to revoke California’s ability to set vehicle efficiency standards, which could slow EV adoption. However, automakers have already invested heavily in EVs and may resist policy rollbacks.
👉 For career changers: If you’re interested in electric vehicles, battery technology, or clean transportation, regulatory shifts like ACC2 will shape industry demand and innovation.
6. TNFD (Task Force on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures) – The Next Big Thing in Sustainability
What it is: A new(ish) framework measuring how businesses impact and depend on nature, similar to how TCFD measures climate risk.
Why it matters in 2025: Companies and investors are shifting focus from just carbon emissions to biodiversity and nature-based solutions. This will drive new standards in finance, agriculture, and supply chains.
👉 For career changers: If you have experience in finance, conservation, or corporate sustainability, TNFD is the next major movement to watch.
7. SBTi (Science-Based Targets initiative) – Companies Commit to Net-Zero
What it is: A global programme guiding companies in setting science-based emissions reduction targets.
Why it matters in 2025: Most large companies will be required to align their targets with net-zero goals under increasing investor pressure. Expect rising demand for carbon analysts, supply chain sustainability experts, and climate strategists.
8. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) – Nature-Based Solutions Gain Momentum
What it is: A UN programme that funds forest conservation efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Why it matters in 2025: Post-2025 climate finance frameworks will channel more investment into nature-based solutions. This will create opportunities for experts in forest carbon markets, conservation finance, and carbon offsetting.
9. LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry) – Carbon Sequestration Becomes a Key Industry Focus
What it is: A framework for tracking how land-use changes impact carbon storage.
Why it matters in 2025: The EU’s 2030 LULUCF regulation kicks in with stricter carbon sequestration targets. This will impact agriculture, forestry, and land-based industries, driving hiring in regenerative agriculture, carbon farming, and sustainable land management.
How to Use This Knowledge in Your Climate Career Transition
Curate Your Inputs. Follow climate news and familiarise yourself with these terms—fluency in climate language makes networking and job searching easier. Set up Google Alerts with these terms, and be sure to manage your social feeds by using these terms as search terms to find key accounts and follow them
Connect the dots. Use these concepts to articulate how your skills align with emerging trends in policy, technology, and finance. The power of narrative is essential in framing your path to the point of transition as being inevitable. So look for ways to include reference to the relevant terms and concepts in your story.
Look for opportunities. The sectors responding to these trends—clean tech, ESG investing, climate risk analysis etc—are growing rapidly. But before you leap, check in with your personal Career Criteria to be sure the niche you are aiming at has the potential to be meaningful for you in terms of content and day to day work.
Secondly, consider the hype curve of these sectors and how that impacts the in demand profiles, relative to your experience and skills set. See more about this HERE
👉 Next step: Curate your inputs but go beyond thinking about it. Action beats thinking everytime. So book a coffee chat with someone working in the field. Want help with that, grab a copy of the free guide to finding and securing climate career conversations below
Grab a copy of the free guide to help you make the connections you need
