A new online resource from the REALCHEM project aims to make complex scientific and policy concepts around cleaner air and sustainable mobility for hard-tp-electrify sectors easier for everyone to understand.
From low-carbon fuels and e-fuels to atmospheric chemistry, emission factors and life cycle assessment, the transition towards cleaner transport and industry involves a wide range of technical terms. For the general public outside the scientific community, understanding this terminology can often be a challenge.
The REALCHEM Glossary has been developed to bridge that gap. Available online as part of the project’s resources, it provides clear and accessible explanations of key terms, technologies and policy concepts used throughout the REALCHEM project.
The glossary covers topics relevant to REALCHEM, including hard-to-electrify sectors, low-carbon fuels, sustainable aviation fuels, non-road mobile machinery, and emerging air pollutants. It also introduces important scientific concepts such as life cycle assessment, atmospheric chemistry transport models, oxidation flow reactors and secondary aerosol formation.
By explaining these concepts in straightforward language, the resource is designed to help a broad audience including citizens, students, policymakers, industry stakeholders and other interested readers better understand the science and technologies supporting the transition to cleaner air and more sustainable mobility.
The glossary also highlights how scientific knowledge connects with policy and real-world action. Entries such as the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan and the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution provide context on how environmental challenges are addressed through European and international cooperation.
The REALCHEM team will use research and innovation to investigate emissions and air-quality impacts associated with emerging technologies and fuels. The glossary provides a useful starting point for anyone wanting to understand the terminology behind this work.
Explore our Glossary here: REALCHEM Glossary