CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD)
The amount of oxygen consumed by the chemical breakdown of organic and inorganic matter.

CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM)
CDM is a mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialised countries to invest in projects in developing countries. The CDM has the objective to reduce emissions in developing countries and encourage sustainable development.

CLEAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Project that fulfills the principles of article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

CLEAN PRODUCTION
The continual application of a preventive environmental strategy integrated in the processes, productions and services in order to increase efficiency; reduce risks on human beings and the environmental and attain a sustainable economic development.

CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
Includes the wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower, biofuels, information technology, electric motors, lighting, and many other appliances that are now more energy efficient. It is a means to create electricity and fuels with a smaller environmental footprint. And it is the need to make green buildings both more energy efficient and environmentally benign.

CLEANING POINT
A cleaning point is a place where determined types of domestic waste are collective free of charge in order to be recycled. 

COD
Chemical Oxygen Demand is a measure of the oxygen consumed in the chemical oxidation of organic matter in water or effluent. It is a quicker test than BOD but does not always correlate with that test.

COMPLIANCE
An affirmative indication or judgment that the supplier of a product or service has met the requirements of the relevant specifications, contract, or regulation; also, the state of meeting the requirements. In ISO terms, compliance to regulations. Compare with Conformance.

CONTAINER
Means anything in or by which hazardous substances are or have been wholly (or partly) cased, covered, enclosed, contained or packed, whether such a
container is empty, or partially or completely full.

CONTAMINED LAND
Land that has been polluted by men-made activities – mainly industrial activities – resulting in the alteration of physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the land.

CONTAMINED WATER
Water that contains disease-causing or toxic substances.

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Enshrined in the published Standards for EMS is the principle of continual improvement, which is intended to ensure that an organisation does not simply adopt an EMS for cosmetic purposes and thereby remain static, without commitment to reduce its impact on the environment. Continual improvement is the process of enhancing the environmental management system to achieve improvement in overall environmental performance in line with the organisation's environmental policy.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
Action taken to preclude occurrence of an identifiedhazard or to prevent recurrence of a problem.