Climate & Biodiversity EN–FR Glossary
This glossary brings together English–French terminology used in work on climate change, biodiversity, wetlands, protected and conserved areas, and related environmental governance. It is designed as a practical tool for translators, revisers and policy drafters who need reliable equivalents and context-aware variants rather than one-size-fits-all answers.
Entries include core concepts, coordination and governance terms, protection and safeguarding language, and commonly used phrases drawn from multilateral agreements and institutional practice. Where several French options are listed, notes help situate them by register or use case (treaty drafting, institutional communication, press material, etc.).
The glossary is a living resource: it will be expanded as new frameworks emerge and usage stabilizes across institutions. It is not sorted alphabetically at this stage; terms are grouped and added progressively in line with real translation work.
For a quick overview of the main environmental and climate agreements cited here, see the dedicated Core Environmental Agreements – Quick Reference for Translators.
How to read this glossary
The table below uses four columns: EN (source term or phrase), FR (recommended equivalents and variants), Definition / usage (where needed) and Notes (register, institutional preferences, or context-sensitive comments). Empty definition cells simply mean that the term is self-explanatory in context or covered by notes.
| EN | FR | Definition / usage | Notes |
| climate change | changements climatiques | It is possible to use, depending on the text, bouleversements climatiques, dérèglements climatiques, dérèglement du climat. | |
| adaptation to climate change climate change adaptation | adaptation aux changements climatiques | The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. As opposed to mitigation of climate change. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. Adaptation can also include human intervention to facilitate adjustment of natural systems to expected climate. | |
| climate refugee climate change refugee | réfugié climatique | ||
| climate change focal area | domaine d’intervention relatif aux changements climatiques | ||
| climate change abatement | atténuation des changements climatiques | ||
| mitigation of climate change climate change mitigation | atténuation des changements climatiques | A human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. As opposed to climate change adaptation. | Do not use the singular du changement climatique. |
| climate change impacts | incidences du changement climatique | The effects of climate change on natural and human systems. Depending on the consideration of adaptation, one can distinguish between potential impacts and residual impacts: Potential impacts: all impacts that may occur given a projected change in climate, without considering adaptation. Residual impacts: the impacts of climate change that would occur after adaptation. See also aggregate impacts, market impacts, and non-market impacts. | |
| combat climate change | |||
| climate change education | éducation au changement climatique | ||
| climate change vulnerability | vulnérabilité face aux changements climatiques | ||
| modelling of climate change | modélisation de l’évolution du climat | ||
| global climate change | évolution du climat de la planète changements climatiques à l’échelle mondiale changements climatiques à l’échelle de la planète | ||
| adverse effects of climate change | effets néfastes des changements climatiques | ||
| action against climate change action on climate change action to combat climate change action to rein in climate change action to tackle climate change battle against climate change climate action climate change action climate efforts efforts to tackle climate change fight against climate change | action climat action contre le réchauffement climatique action face au changement climatique action face aux changements climatiques action menée face au changement climatique action menée pour lutter contre les changements climatiques action pour le climat combat contre les changements climatiques lutte contre le changement climatique lutte contre le réchauffement climatique lutte contre les dérèglements climatiques mesures prises face au changement climatique mesures prises pour faire face au changement climatique mesures prises pour lutter contre le changement climatique mobilisation contre le réchauffement climatique | ||
| Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Change Conference 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change | Conférence de Charm el-Cheikh de 2022 sur les changements climatiques vingt-septième session de la Conférence des parties à la Convention cadre des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques | ||
| carbon offsets | compensation d’émissions compensation d’émissions de carbone compensation des émissions compensation des émissions de carbone | ||
| carbon market emissions trading | bourse du carbone commerce des droits d’émission échange de droits d’émission échange de permis d’émissions échange de quotas d’émission marché de droits d’émission de carbone marché du carbone | ||
| climate action failure climate change inaction failure to act on climate change failure to take action on climate change inaction on climate inaction on climate change | inaction climatique inaction contre le réchauffement climatique inaction face à la crise climatique inaction face au réchauffement climatique inaction face aux changements climatiques inaction vis-à-vis de la crise climatique | ||
| lawsuit claiming inaction on climate change climate change case | action en justice pour inaction climatique plainte pour inaction contre le réchauffement climatique procès pour inaction climatique | ||
| climate catastrophe climate disaster climate-driven disaster climate-induced disaster climate-related disaster | catastrophe climatique catastrophe climatologique catastrophe d’origine climatique catastrophe d’origine météorologique catastrophe liée au changement climatique catastrophe liée aux changements climatiques catastrophe météorologique | ||
| climate change challenges | défis climatiques défis du réchauffement climatique défis posés par le changement climatique défis que pose le changement climatique enjeux climatiques | ||
| climate change crisis | crise causée par le changement climatique crise climatique | ||
| climate change denial climate change scepticism | climatonégationnisme climatoscepticisme déni de la réalité du changement climatique scepticisme climatique remise en cause de la théorie du réchauffement climatique | ||
| climate change science science of climate change | études sur les changements climatiques science des changements climatiques connaissances scientifiques en matière d’évolution du climat hypothèse anthropique du réchauffement climatique théorie de l’origine humaine du réchauffement climatique | ||
| climate taxation | fiscalité climatique | ||
| climatic fluctuations | variations climatiques | ||
| climate-smart | climato-intelligent(e) | ||
| coastal erosion erosion at the coast erosion of coastlines | érosion côtière érosion de la côte grignotage côtier grignotage de la côte grignotage du littoral | ||
| coastal recession receding coastline | recul côtier recul du littoral recul du trait de côte | ||
| combat climate change | combattre le changement climatique combattre les changements climatiques contrer les changements climatiques lutter contre le changement climatique | ||
| be resource-efficient | être économe en ressources optimiser les ressources | ||
| e vulnerable to the consequences of climate change be vulnerable to the effects of climate change be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change | être exposé aux conséquences du changement climatique être vulnérable face aux conséquences du changement climatique | ||
| best climate change practices climate change best practices | bonnes pratiques dans la lutte contre le changement climatique bonnes pratiques en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique | ||
| break deadlock at climate talks | débloquer les négociations sur le climat | ||
| breakdown of climate breakdown of the climate system climate collapse | effondrement climatique | ||
| carbon pricing | tarification du carbone | ||
| cooling of the globe cooling of the planet global cooling | refroidissement climatique refroidissement de la planète refroidissement du globe refroidissement du système climatique | ||
| decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation decoupling economic growth from unsustainable resource use and environmental impacts | découplage des pressions environnementales et de la croissance économique découplage des pressions sur l’environnement et de la croissance économique découplage entre croissance économique et dégradation de l’environnement | ||
| present and future generations present and future generations of humankind present and future generations of mankind | générations actuelles et futures de l’humanité générations humaines actuelles et futures | ||
| the grim math of climate change | tristes chiffres du changement climatique | ||
| triple planetary crisis triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss triple planetary crisis of climate change, of nature and biodiversity loss, and of pollution and waste | triple crise planétaire triple crise planétaire causée par les changements climatiques, la perte de diversité biologique et la pollution triple crise planétaire provoquée par les changements climatiques, l’appauvrissement de la biodiversité et la pollution | ||
| unpredictable weather patterns | phénomènes météorologiques imprévisibles régimes météorologiques imprévisibles | ||
| vulnerability to natural disasters | exposition aux catastrophes naturelles vulnérabilité aux catastrophes naturelles | ||
| withdrawal from the Paris Agreement | sortie de l’accord de Paris | ||
| environmentally displaced people environmentally displaced persons environmentally displaced populations | déplacés climatiques déplacés environnementaux | ||
| compliance procedures and mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol procedures and mechanisms relating to compliance under the Kyoto Protocol | procédures et mécanismes relatifs au respect des dispositions du protocole de Kyoto | ||
| decision not to proceed further with the question | décision de ne pas engager de procédure décision de ne pas entrer en matière | ||
| re-enter the Paris Agreement | rejoindre l’accord de Paris sur le climat | ||
| access and benefit-sharing access to genetic resources and sharing of the benefits arising from their utilization | accès et partage des avantages accès aux ressources génétiques et partage des avantages qui résultent de leur utilisation accès aux ressources génétiques et partage des avantages tirés de leur exploitation accès aux ressources génétiques et partage des avantages découlant de leur utilisation | ||
| sharing of benefits arising from the use of biodiversity | partage des avantages tirés de la biodiversité | ||
| damage to biological diversity | atteinte à la biodiversité dommage causé à la biodiversité | ||
| ecological or biological significance | importance écologique ou biologique | ||
| ecologically or biologically vulnerable areas | zones vulnérables sur les plans écologique ou biologique | ||
| protected area | aire protégée | ||
| Countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification | pays gravement touchés par la sécheresse et/ou la désertification | Keep et/ou when referring to the official convention. | |
| low-lying and other small island countries, countries with low-lying coastal, arid and semi-arid areas or areas liable to floods, drought and desertification | les pays de faible élévation et autres petits pays insulaires, les pays ayant des zones côtières de faible élévation, des zones arides ou semi-arides ou des zones sujettes aux inondations, à la sécheresse et à la désertification | ||
| demographic shift from rural to urban areas drift from rural to urban areas exodus from rural areas flight from rural to urban areas geographic migration of the population from rural to urban areas rural exodus rural flight rural-to-urban drift | dépeuplement des campagnes au profit des villes déplacement de la population des campagnes vers les villes dépopulation des campagnes au profit des villes déruralisation désertification des campagnes au profit des villes émigration de la campagne vers la ville exode des populations rurales vers les villes flux migratoires des campagnes vers les villes exode rural | ||
| endangered species | espèce(s) menacée(s) d’extinction | Whereas when referring to endangered languages, we will use menacée(s) de disparition. | |
| World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas | Base de données mondiale des zones clés pour la biodiversité | ||
| accidental bycatch | prise accessoire incidente | ||
| zoning | zonage | ||
| World Heritage Site | site du patrimoine mondial | Cultural or natural site inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, that must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. According to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the following shall be considered as “cultural heritage”: monuments: architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features, which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science; groups of buildings: groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science; sites: works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view. And the following as “natural heritage”: natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view; geological and physiographical formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation; natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty. | No caps. Variant: bien du patrimoine mondial. |
| wise use | utilisation rationnelle | ||
| urgent national interests | raisons pressantes d’intérêt national | ||
| wildlife | ressources naturelles faune faune et flore espèces sauvages nature | The choice of term is highly context dependent. | |
| wilderness zone/area | zone de nature sauvage | Catégorie de gestion | |
| Wildlife Management Area | Aire de gestion faunique | For the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. | |
| wetland | zone humide | ||
| weathering bedrock minerals | météorisation des minéraux de la roche-mère | ||
| water supply | Approvisionnement en eau apport d’eau alimentation | ||
| watershed | bassin versant | The land area from which surface runoff drains into a stream, channel, lake, reservoir, or other body of water; also called a drainage basin. | Basin is the most generic term. Catchment and Watershed are sometimes used regionally as synonyms for “”basin,”” but sometimes also have specific connotations in technical French (which are not always interchangeable). Basin = Bassin. Standard usage. Ex. “Bassin du Mékong.” Catchment = Bassin versant / bassin hydrographique depending on context. Ex. “”Catchment management”” = “”gestion des bassins versants.”” Watershed= Bassin versant (general); ligne de partage des eaux (if referring specifically to the watershed divide). Context-sensitive. Catchment area = Aire de captage (specific, ex: for roof water) or bassin versant (general for land area). Groundwatershed = Bassin versant souterrain. Term less frequent; confirm with client if needed. Groundwatershed (one word) refers to a hydrological catchment composed primarily of groundwater flows – subsurface area. Do not confuse “”groundwatershed”” with “ground watershed” (two words), which is ambiguous and could be misinterpreted as a surface watershed associated with ground-level terrain.” |
| water purification | épuration des eaux | Process for enhancing the quality of water so that it meets the water quality criteria for its fitness for the intended use. | Variant: traitement des eaux. |
| water abstraction | prélèvements d’eau | ||
| wastewater waste water | eaux usées | ||
| vulnerable to overexploitation | exposé à la surexploitation | ||
| vulnerable to pollution | sensible à la pollution | ||
| untreated sewage disposal | évacuation d’eaux usées brutes déversement d’eaux usées brutes | ||
| unregulated fishing | pêche non règlementée | ||
| United Nations Environment Programme | Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement | ||
| trust fund | Fonds d’affectation spéciale | ||
| transitional waters | eaux intermédiaires | ||
| traditional Ecological Knowledge | connaissances écologiques traditionnelles | Encompasses the history, collective understandings and symbolic thought of traditional societies living in close relationship with natural ecological systems. | Variants: savoir autochtone, savoir écologique traditionnel. |
| toxic chemicals | substances chimiques toxiques | ||
| tourist accommodation | structures d’hébergement touristique | ||
| Territories and areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities ‘territories of life’ | Aires et territoires du patrimoine autochtone et communautaire territoires de vie | A close association is often found between a specific Indigenous people or local community and a specific territory, area, or body of natural resources. When such an association is combined with effective local governance and conservation of nature, we speak of an “ICCA”. ICCA sounds like an acronym, but it is not. It is an abbreviation for “territories and areas conserved by Indigenous Peoples and local communities” or “territories of life”. FR variant “territoires et aires conservés par les peuples autochtones et les communautés locales” | |
| Target 3 | cible 3 | Target 3 of the GBF. | |
| sustainable yield | rendement durable | ||
| sustainable livelihoods | moyens d’existence durables | ||
| strip census | transect à largeur fixe comptage sur transect à bande fixe | A strip census (or strip transect survey) involves surveying a fixed-width strip of land or water to count and record all target organisms (e.g., birds, mammals, plants) seen within that strip. | |
| strict nature reserve | réserve naturelle intégrale | ||
| storm water stormwater storm surge | onde de tempête | ||
| stepping stones | étapes relais | When referring to stopover sites for migratory birds. | |
| spray drifts | [dérive d’]embruns de pulvérisation | ||
| species range | aire de répartition des espèces | Geographical area where a species is found, particularly in ecological and conservation. | Variant: aire de distribution. |
| spawning migration | migration vers les frayères | ||
| spawning ground | frayère | ||
| spawning aggregation | banc de reproducteurs | ||
| spatial planning | aménagement du territoire | ||
| solid waste | déchets solides |
This glossary is updated periodically to reflect evolving practice in environmental and biodiversity frameworks. Contributions and suggestions from fellow translators and practitioners are welcome.