Lesson 209 · German B1

Environment & Sustainability Vocabulary

Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit

Climate and environment is one of the most common B1 discussion topics - in exam Sprechen tasks and in real conversation. It is also directly practical: Germany has strict rules on sorting trash, and knowing the vocabulary helps at home from day one.

Today's win: discuss climate change and recycling, and give a one-sentence opinion on the topic.

Core vocabulary

der Klimawandelclimate changeerneuerbare Energienrenewable energy
der CO2-AusstoßCO2 emissionsnachhaltigsustainable
umweltfreundlichenvironmentally friendlyder Mülltrash

Quick check: what does "nachhaltig" mean?

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sustainable

Sorting trash (Müll trennen)

German households sort trash into several bins: Restmüll (general waste, black), Biomüll (organic, brown), Papier (paper, blue), and Verpackungen (packaging, yellow). Getting this right matters to neighbors and landlords.

Man muss den Müll trennen. (You have to sort your trash - müssen, Lesson 76.)
Kommt das in den Biomüll oder den Restmüll? (Does this go in organic or general waste?)

Quick check: what German word means "to sort trash"?

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den Müll trennen

Giving an opinion on the environment

Meiner Meinung nach sollten wir mehr auf erneuerbare Energien setzen. (In my opinion, we should focus more on renewable energy - opinion phrase from Lesson 193.)
Ich finde, jeder kann im Alltag etwas für die Umwelt tun. (I think everyone can do something for the environment in daily life.)

Quick check: fill the gap - "Meiner Meinung ______ sollten wir mehr recyceln."

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nach
Try it out loud: say one sentence about why sorting trash matters, and one opinion sentence about climate change.

Recap

1. What does "der CO2-Ausstoß" mean?

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CO2 emissions

2. Which bin is for organic waste?

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Biomüll

Primary source

Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.

Want to practice giving a short opinion on an environmental topic? Ask your teaching agent.