In the context of the environment and climate change, carbon is divided into several categories, which are color-coded for clarity according to their origin and impact on the planet:

Heat-absorbing carbon (Warmers)

• Black Carbon: It consists of dark particles soot, which are produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels (especially diesel), biofuels and biomass. It is an extremely powerful climate factor because intensively absorbs sunlight directly in the atmosphere and then radiates it as heat. Unlike carbon dioxide (CO₂), which persists in the atmosphere for centuries, black carbon has a short lifespan (about one week), but can absorb up to a million times more energy per unit mass than CO₂.
• Brown Carbon: These are organic aerosols originating mainly from biomass burning (e.g. forest fires or burning wood at low temperatures). Unlike black carbon, it mainly absorbs shorter wavelengths, such as ultraviolet and blue light. It affects not only the warming of the atmosphere, but also cloud formation and visibility.
• Red Carbon: Specifically indicates biological material (e.g. algae) on snow and ice. By darkening the white surface, it significantly reduces albedo (reflectivity), which leads to the surface absorbing more heat and glaciers melting faster.
• Grey Carbon: It represents emissions originating from fossil fuel industry, energy production and transport. It is the main driver of global warming, requiring urgent decarbonization.

Carbon stored in nature (Sequestrators)

• Blue Carbon: It is organic carbon captured and deposited in coastal vegetation ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. These ecosystems store carbon in underwater sediments, where it remains preserved for hundreds to thousands of years without access to oxygen. In addition to sequestering, they protect coastlines from erosion and storms.
• Green Carbon: Carbon captured by terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, grasslands and soil. It plays a key role in maintaining natural carbon cycles and supporting biodiversity.
• Teal Carbon: This term is used for carbon stored in inland freshwater wetlands, especially in peatlands. Peatlands They are the densest carbon reservoir of all terrestrial ecosystems – although they cover only 3–4 % of the Earth’s surface, they store as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. However, when drained, they become „carbon bombs“ that release huge amounts of emissions back into the atmosphere.

Overview of impact and resources

For better understanding, we can imagine the carbon cycle as global banking system. "Gray", "black" and "brown" carbon are like uncontrolled spending, which increase our „temperature debt.“ Conversely, „blue,“ „green,“ and „teal“ carbon act as savings accounts, where nature safely stores excess carbon. But if we destroy wetlands or forests, it is as if we are taking these savings all at once and burning them, drastically increasing our (warming) debt. JRi