Topic Vocabulary: Environment

Essential Environment Vocabulary for Band 7+

Mastering environment vocabulary is critical because environmental topics appear in approximately 30% of all IELTS Task 2 questions.

Core Topic Nouns

Climate and atmosphere: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprint, global warming, climate change, rising sea levels, extreme weather events Ecosystems: biodiversity, habitat destruction, deforestation, desertification, species extinction, coral bleaching, wildlife conservation Pollution types: air pollution, water contamination, soil degradation, plastic waste, toxic waste, microplastics Energy: renewable energy, solar power, fossil fuels, carbon emissions, clean energy transition, sustainable development

Core Topic Verbs

Causing harm: deplete, contaminate, degrade, destroy, erode, pollute, threaten, endanger Taking action: mitigate, combat, tackle, reduce, conserve, preserve, protect, restore Describing change: accelerate, worsen, deteriorate, intensify, diminish, recover, improve

High-Scoring Collocations

tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, implement sustainable policies, mitigate the effects of global warming, preserve natural habitats, combat environmental degradation, transition to renewable energy

Band Comparison

Band 5: Pollution is bad for the environment and we need to stop it.

Band 7: Industrial pollution poses a serious threat to biodiversity and requires immediate government intervention.

Band 9: Unchecked greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating climate change at an alarming rate, threatening to destabilise ecosystems that millions of species depend upon for survival.

Practice Question

Some people believe that environmental problems are too big for individuals to solve. To what extent do you agree or disagree?