What it’s like to be an interpreter for environmental and climate movements

My first clients in Spanish-English translation and interpretation were groundwater hydrologists (environmental scientists who study how water resources are managed, used, and misused). 

Translating for hydrologists led me to a lot of new vocabulary challenges. Earth science is quite technical, and I was soon learning about aquifers, groundwater recharge, irrigation wells, and more.

Through topics of water scarcity, the world of climate change policy opened up for me as an exciting area of inquiry, where different cultures and perspectives are constantly in dialogue. I gradually realized that environmental issues could be a fun area of specialization for me as a translator and interpreter. 

Here are some things I’ve realized along the way and what it’s been like.

Terminology shifts

There’s always something new in climate change science and climate negotiations on the international stage. New findings and reports (like AR6) are constantly being published, changing geopolitical realities and changing technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Interpreters are always learning and practicing their terminology chops, but the topic of the environment and climate change has been shifting and expanding faster than most in recent years. It’s a very dynamic specialization. This means you’ll be researching and preparing a lot for gigs, and you’ll most certainly avoid getting bored or complacent in your craft.

For example, biomass cofiring is something I had to learn about to prepare for meetings. It’s about  “adding biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high-efficiency coal boilers.” And each new term can send you down a rabbit hole, wondering, what does a coal-fired power plant look like? What’s the definition of biomass, anyway? Is this likely to be seen as a good thing by stakeholders at the meeting or critiqued as a false solution to climate change?

This is why interpreters always prepare for events beforehand. We research the latest terminology and related advances in the field.

Networks and personalities galore

It’s a small world after all when you get into the world of climate change, biological diversity, and environmental justice. 

There are famous people in environmental justice circles that never land in People magazine. Bill McKibben, Greta Thunburg, Jane Goodall… I’ve interpreted for many of these folks. You really want to do your research beforehand to understand their biographies—for example, the organizations they founded, names of prizes they’ve won, and titles of the books they’ve published.

Some of these famous folks can be very particular about how you speak to them and about them, or who they have as interpreters. They want, and deserve, the very best. It was helpful for me coming from a diplomatic past to understand protocol and formalities, and how to navigate powerful personalities.

Activist language

Empowerment. Engagement. Advocacy. These are words that can be translated in different ways in different contexts. There aren’t always direct equivalents. For example, advocacy can be abogacía, defensoría, or incidencia política, depending on the situation.

And yet, these words are very commonly used in discussions about environmental justice. In meetings with activists, I’ve come to understand the different nuances of these words, their political relevance, and their meaning for NGOs and organizers in the global north and south. It’s very important to get it right. 

International destinations

Yes, I’ve traveled to Cancun for work and… spent a week straight inside a conference hall, with one brief visit to the roaring ocean waves at the end. When you interpret for climate change negotiations and related civil society events, you might end up in Bonn, or in Dakar, or Cochabamba.

It’s exciting to have to stamp your passport to get to work, and it’s a hectic lifestyle, too, because a lot of the work is done in pre- and post-session events, in the corridors, and over food and drink long past 5 p.m. 

Working overtime is basically a given. It’s crazy to think that, in some of my earliest work trips abroad, I took virtually zero time to relax (which probably wasn’t ideal for me OR my clients). It’s interesting to see how self care for interpreters has entered the conversation in recent years.

Technical terms

Carbon capture and storage isn’t exactly something people chat about randomly at parties. Unless, of course, you hang out with activists or policy wonks in the climate space. If so, they’ll probably assume that you understand acronyms like BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage), SRM (solar radiation management), NDCs, LDCs, and more.

As an interpreter, you have to know these acronyms and their equivalents.

It’s also very helpful to get acquainted with the particular language used in the United Nations. UN resolutions are written in a particular way, and words like sustainability and progress are translated in a very specific and consistent manner, and word choice matters. They have an editorial manual that’s a great resource.

UN language is almost a dialect in itself, and if you’re talking to climate change pros, they know it and they use it, and they might even subvert it in interesting ways. The context is key.

Choose an interpreter specializing in the environment

An interpreter or translator with experience in environmental and climate-related topics is your best resource if you need language services for environmental NGOs, social movements, country negotiators and advisors, scientists, and analysts in this field. 

If accuracy and consistency matter to you, contact our team at Morrissey Language Services for interpretation and translation on environmental topics.