Key climate language poorly understood by majority in UK, poll finds

Terms such as ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ understood only by minority, says study

The British public has a worryingly low understanding of language around the climate crisis and environmental policies to reduce waste, according to the findings of a survey.

Only a quarter of people questioned clearly understood the term “green” and about the same number could accurately describe what “sustainable” – making something in a way that causes little or no damage to the environment – meant.