Climate change mitigation entails reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) globally through switching to renewable energy sources, increasing efficiency, and supporting sustainable agriculture practices. Furthermore, climate change mitigation involves protecting forests and key ecosystems for preservation.
Limiting global warming to 1.5degC would have multiple positive consequences, such as less severe extreme weather events and sea level rise, reduced stress on water supply, food production and biodiversity as well as decreased risks of irreversible climate consequences.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Climate change mitigation entails reducing emissions directly or by strengthening natural “sinks” that absorb and store carbon from our ecosystems.
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions have many additional advantages, including improved air quality, energy independence and economic savings. Reducing fossil fuel combustion not only lowers greenhouse gas emissions but also decreases other harmful pollutants like fine particulates and nitrous oxides that lead to ground-level ozone; this in turn improves health outcomes among both the elderly and young while saving medical costs associated with such pollutants1.
Technology options to reduce GHG emissions include increasing energy efficiency, switching fuel sources (e.g. coal for gas), GHG capture and storage technologies such as wind, solar and advanced nuclear energy; typically these methods cost less than carbon when using an estimated social cost of $50/ton as a benchmark figure.
Adapting to Changing Climate
Alongside cutting emissions, we must also adjust to changes already underway by increasing resilience against climate impacts like floods, drought and heat waves.
Adaptation options range from altering how we manage land or water to designing new infrastructure. In a city, this might involve installing a system to separate stormwater from waste water so that any overflows during periods of intense rainfall won’t pollute rivers and lakes; while for mountainous regions it might involve installing systems designed to decrease landslides or glacial lake outburst flooding caused by melting ice.
Governments can better cope with future climate risks by integrating adaptation into development planning from an early stage. They should make climate risk information widely accessible, support agriclimate solutions financially and assist communities overcome any implementation barriers such as low capacity or behavioral biases. They should also address “hard adaptation limits”, where effective or feasible adaptation options become less effective or unfeasible as global warming continues to progress.
Transitioning to a Sustainable Future
As part of climate change mitigation, it’s crucial that we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and make a shift towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Doing this will lower greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere while helping mitigate its adverse effects such as sea-level rise, more intense weather events and food insecurity by creating carbon sinks such as forests, oceans, soils and cities that act as carbon storage units.
This process must also ensure that workers and communities affected by the shift to greener industries can receive compensation and alternatives; this practice has gained increasing attention over recent years. This approach is known as “Just Transition.”
Now it is widely acknowledged that human activities are responsible for climate change, and that mitigating its impacts should be in everyone’s interests. Therefore, we must accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable solutions with high mitigation potential, and build more resilient societies.
Everyone Has a Role
Individuals can take simple actions such as using reusable grocery store bags and taking public transit more frequently in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the real impact comes from people coming together in groups to advocate for changes to energy systems and infrastructure; as well as serving as role models by showing others how to live a low-carbon lifestyle.
Governments can make climate change mitigation a top priority by setting policy signals that mobilize private investment and accelerate action, such as pricing carbon, ending public financing for fossil fuels and adopting strong policies requiring low-carbon transitions.
They can assist high-income countries, which bear more historical responsibility for climate change, to cut emissions while aiding vulnerable developing nations transition to low-carbon development pathways. Furthermore, they should prioritize adapting to its effects for low-income populations who will be most affected – this might involve setting evacuation plans or building parks to absorb flood water.