Vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary for IELTS: Environment & Climate Change
13 April 2026
Environment and climate change is one of the most frequently tested topics in both IELTS Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 3. Knowing the precise academic vocabulary — not just general words — is what separates Band 6 and Band 7+ responses on the Lexical Resource criterion.
Study these words in context, not in isolation. Notice how each word collocates: we say "reduce carbon footprint", not "lower carbon footprint"; "tackle climate change", not "solve climate change". Collocations matter as much as the words themselves for LR scoring.
Word List
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| carbon footprint | The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, or product |
| mitigation | The action of reducing the severity or impact of something harmful |
| biodiversity | The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat |
| sustainability | The ability to be maintained at a certain level without depleting natural resources |
| renewable energy | Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power |
| greenhouse gas | A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation |
| ecosystem | A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment |
| deforestation | The action of clearing a wide area of trees |
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