Climate change solutions can be found across society: from reversing deforestation and urban planning efforts, to green infrastructure initiatives and plastic pollution reduction plans; disaster recovery plans must include climate risk considerations when devising their policies.
As we face a climate emergency and an increasingly dire outlook for future generations, action must be taken across all sectors – from cutting fossil fuel emissions to improving land productivity and protecting natural ecosystems that absorb greenhouse gasses.
Energy
Renewable energy sources and their efficient utilization are critical elements in climate change mitigation. Beyond reducing emissions, energy companies can also help by designing their infrastructure with resilience in mind – for instance, smart grid systems utilizing advanced weather monitoring and predictive analytics can ensure uninterrupted power distribution even during extreme weather events while decreasing losses.
Many nations, states and communities are already taking measures to prepare for the effects of climate change – floods, droughts, mudslides, storm surges and wildfires – using sophisticated computer models that evaluate climate change policies with an economic lens. Climate action will ultimately lower risks and costs associated with disasters while creating more resilient futures.
Resilient societies, economies and ecosystems are essential. To meet this objective, we must integrate climate change strategies that address its effects (adaptation) with those which limit greenhouse gas emissions and result in improved human wellbeing – for instance by reducing poverty, hunger and water shortages while providing more people with affordable energy solutions and protecting nature on land, lakes rivers and oceans – an approach known as Climate Resilient Development.
Climate adaptation means minimizing exposure to climate risks and planning for their consequences, from building flood defences or drought-tolerant crops, developing early warning systems for cyclones or redesigning communication systems and business processes, all the way through to designing low-carbon economies that promote jobs, growth and sustainable resource management while working closely with private sectors, local communities and indigenous groups.
At its core, climate action must be undertaken on a global scale. This requires intensified mitigation action by top emitting countries and adopting inclusive whole-of-society approaches that protect those most at risk – although achieving this may be difficult, it is key for maintaining peace and prosperity around the world.
Water
Water is at the core of climate change, and is key in reaching net zero carbon goals. We must find solutions that address both challenges. Renewable energy sources, land use reform measures, ecosystem restoration projects and food system transformation are just a few solutions we know could work.
But we must act now; working with communities to adapt, and investing in climate-resilient water infrastructure are vital steps. Many countries already face water scarcity issues: either having too little, or poor quality supplies – which climate change exacerbates through more frequent and intense storms, floods, droughts, heat waves and sea level rise events that have devastating repercussions for vulnerable nations such as small islands and developing economies.
Governments and local communities are becoming more adept at mitigating risk by building flood defenses, designing early warning systems for cyclones, changing agricultural practices to produce drought-resistant crops and revamping business and government policies. Such adaptation efforts play a vital role in helping people survive disasters and recover quickly afterwards.
And they are working to build resilient economies by investing in infrastructure that can withstand future risks, using cutting-edge technologies to assess and enhance their water resources (such as satellites that detect pollution in rivers, lakes and oceans), while taking advantage of innovative finance and new ideas to upscale adaptation efforts and maximize their impact.
As we await a solution to climate change, it is imperative that we reduce greenhouse gases that are contributing to warming Earth’s atmosphere and upsetting its natural water cycle. We can do this by burning less fossil fuel in cars and buildings while adopting cleaner energy sources like wind, solar or geothermal power for cars or buildings.
We are also working to preserve forests and marine habitats, reduce waste production and enhance food production through more sustainable agriculture practices. Finally, we’re taking on one of the primary causes of climate change – methane gas released by melting permafrost and near-shore seabeds in the Arctic region.
Food
Climate Change is a global systemic threat threatening humanity on every continent, leading to mass displacements, undermining livelihoods, slowing economic growth and even sparking conflicts. But there are solutions available: renewable energy generation and storage; carbon capture storage systems; ecosystem restoration measures and food system reform are just a few options available to us; however, their implementation requires global cooperation and collective action from governments and businesses – especially those that pollute most extensively – as well as individuals taking action themselves.
Cynthia Rosenzweig from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University Earth Institute examined how climate change is shaping and being influenced by food systems globally. While she pointed out that many efforts to mitigate its effects are being focused on agriculture alone, overall food systems – from processing through supply chains, shipping networks, demand and consumption- all play a part.
Rosamond Naylor from Stanford University then discussed resilience in complex dynamic systems and its application to aqua foods (fisheries, freshwater aquatic organisms). She stressed the need to consider 10 factors when planning food resiliency: ecological function, biodiversity values, social/cultural values as well as market stability; she added that resilience must encompass all stakeholders while being designed with improving health in mind.
She elaborated that to create a sustainable and resilient food system, one that promotes both nutrient dense diets and an environmentally sustainable system, sustainable agri-environmental management is a tool of resilience against changing climate. Furthermore, more consumers are willing to pay more for products produced sustainably.
Ebi asked how she could best transition the consumer side of food systems towards sustainability, and Naylor suggested increasing awareness among consumers regarding production practices that impact nutrient density and GHG emissions – something the anti-smoking movement had done successfully – as one strategy. Furthermore, lessons from its success may help drive sustainable food demand initiatives.
Cities
Cities are at the epicenter of climate change and stand to gain by taking steps to protect their citizens, ecosystems and businesses. Cities can drive global progress by showing how to meet Sustainable Development Goals while meeting urgent community needs simultaneously. Local governments and communities in the US, for instance, are realizing the benefits of investing in climate resilience while simultaneously cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Many communities are now providing pre-disaster mitigation grants and developing climate-resilient infrastructure such as stormwater capture systems, green roofs and smart grids. Businesses are taking climate resilience into consideration as part of their risk assessment and management practices, to ensure they can keep operating in an ever-evolving climate. Even the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into ways to encourage climate risk disclosure among public companies.
To survive and prosper in an ever-evolving world, cities must be resilient against climate change impacts. Resilience requires city leaders to prioritize climate risks when making planning and budgeting decisions in order to make smart investments that reduce future shocks while improving response capabilities when they do occur. This may involve including adaptation requirements into financial policies, zoning regulations or urban development standards while mandating “multiple bottom line” investment returns that account for financial, environmental and social considerations when measuring returns on investments.
Cities require increased support from governments at all levels and the private sector in order to make climate resilient investment a reality. This can be accomplished by setting bolder emission reduction targets, developing national roadmaps to reach them, and supporting pro-poor actions which take into account marginalised populations such as women, youth, indigenous communities, low-income residents and those with disabilities or access barriers.
Since cities face unique combinations of challenges and opportunities, they must work with global partners to develop an integrated global approach to climate change. Therefore, climate resilience should be seen as an interdisciplinary field encompassing research into social, economic and biological systems of cities as well as their surrounding regions.
