Environmental basics: het milieu (environment), de natuur (nature), de klimaatverandering (climate change), de opwarming van de aarde (global warming), de broeikasgassen (greenhouse gases), de CO2-uitstoot (CO2 emissions), de vervuiling (pollution), de luchtkwaliteit (air quality), het waterbeheer (water management — crucial in the Netherlands).
Sustainability vocabulary: duurzaam (sustainable), duurzaamheid (sustainability), hernieuwbare energie (renewable energy), zonne-energie (solar energy), windenergie (wind energy), de windmolen/windturbine (windmill/wind turbine), energieneutraal (energy-neutral), de circulaire economie (circular economy), recyclen (to recycle), het afval sorteren (to sort waste), composteren (to compost).
Dutch environmental context: the Netherlands faces specific challenges as a low-lying delta country. Key terms: de zeespiegelstijging (sea level rise), de overstroming (flooding), de watersnood (flood disaster), de dijkverzwaring (dike reinforcement), het Deltaplan (Delta Plan — the national flood defence strategy), de Wadden (the Wadden Sea — UNESCO world heritage). Water management vocabulary is part of Dutch national identity.