French Vocabulary on Environmental and Social Issues

déchets

waste/rubbish

gaspiller

to waste

soutenir

to support

interdiction

ban/prohibition

engendrer

to generate/bring about

empreinte carbone

carbon footprint

se débrouiller

to manage/get by

panne

breakdown/failure

hausse

rise/increase

ménages

households

prévoir

to predict/plan

baisser

to lower

gêner

to bother/disturb

plaintes

complaints

bruit

noise

malentendant

hearing-impaired

pare-brise

windscreen

freiner

to slow down/brake

mûrir

to mature

embaucher

to hire/employ

avenir

future

déménager

to move house

environnemental

environmental

énergivore

energy-consuming

logement

accommodation

déçu

disappointed

boulot

(slang) job/work

bénévolat

volunteering

éprouver

to feel/experience

mal-logé

poorly housed

sans-abri

homeless person

coûter cher

to be expensive

baisser les bras

to give up

faire le tri

to sort (rubbish, choices)

dépense

expense/spending

tirer profit de

to profit from

abordable

affordable

patrimoine

heritage

incontournable

unmissable/essential

lutter contre

to fight against

envisager

to consider

échec

failure

renoncer à

to give up on

ménager

to spare/be kind to

soutenable

sustainable

trouver sa voie

to find one's path

à l'égard de

with regard to

incendie

fire (uncontrolled)

mobiliser

to rally/mobilize

franchir

to cross/overcome

assister à

to attend

covoiturage

car sharing

éolienne

wind turbine

nourriture bio

organic food

bouchons

traffic jams

usines

factories

inondation

flood

effet de serre

greenhouse effect

ménage

household

en panne

broken down

surpeuplé

overcrowded

cambriolage

burglary

vol à l'étalage

shoplifting

défi

challenge

tâche ménagère

household chore

lutte

struggle/fight

chômage

unemployment

grève

strike

se détendre

to relax

éteindre

to switch off

économiser

to save (money/energy)

réduire

to reduce

déménagement

moving house

bruit de fond

background noise

maladroit

clumsy

épreuve

exam paper/test

interrogation écrite

written test

tricher

to cheat

matière facultative

optional subject

bourse d'études

scholarship

horaires surchargés

overloaded timetable

soutien scolaire

academic support

licenciement

redundancy

embouteillage

traffic jam

démuni

destitute

s'en sortir

to get by/succeed despite difficulty

accro à

addicted to

chaleur accablante

scorching heat

canicule

heatwave

logement social

social housing

rapport qualité-prix

value for money

témoin

witness

malfaçon

defect (in a product/building)

être censé

to be supposed to

éclaircies

sunny spells

pluies éparses

scattered showers

se moquer de

to make fun of

centre d'hébergement

homeless shelter

se plaindre

to complain

horaires décalés

staggered hours