Climate change mitigation refers to efforts taken to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in order to halt global warming, with significant health co-benefits from these efforts; including changes to transport systems that encourage more walking and cycling as well as efforts aimed at decreasing high-calorie diets which increase risks for diabetes and heart disease.
Mitigation strategies involve limiting emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and increasing carbon sinks, while simultaneously supporting sustainable development goals and providing direct economic benefits to local communities.
Adaptation
Adaptation refers to building systems to counter and take advantage of climate change, such as flood defences in cities or drought-resistant crops, or adapting our behavior in response to it – for instance by turning off air conditioners when temperatures soar or checking on elderly neighbours during heatwaves.
Adaptation typically occurs at a local level – cities, islands, and communities that are most susceptible to climate impacts are already working on adaptation strategies. These efforts could range from installing water tanks during dry spells to upgrading stormwater systems and restoring wetlands in order to combat rising sea levels.
Adaptation may take many forms: it could involve installing solar panels at home or purchasing energy-saving appliances; adaption may also occur on a larger scale through government spending on beach nourishment to protect houses on the coast or subsidising drought-tolerant crops. Yet some adaptation can have unintended negative consequences that negatively impact other sectors or people (for instance a sea wall that protects one house but damages another beach nearby); this phenomenon is called climate vulnerability.
Mitigation
Humanity must work on two fronts to combat climate change: mitigation must stop fossil fuel emissions that contribute to dangerous global warming; adaptation is necessary in helping individuals and societies adapt to the already happening impacts.
Human activities have contributed to an unprecedented surge in concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide in our atmosphere – levels not seen for at least 800,000 years! To mitigate climate change we must reduce and prevent emissions using renewable energy sources like wind power or solar PV as well as improving energy efficiency measures such as Smart Metering or shifting consumer behavior. Climate change mitigation involves using technologies, renewable sources of power or changing management practices or shifting consumer behavior to limit or reduce these emissions.
As humans produce most of their carbon emissions through burning fossil fuels, most mitigation options revolve around limiting or replacing these emissions with alternative sources, such as nuclear or renewable energy. Other strategies may involve capturing and storing greenhouse gases like CO2 from power plants as well as conserving forests as natural carbon sinks.
International cooperation
Though there has been an increased commitment to combat climate change, recent investments do not meet what’s required to keep global warming below 2degC. This gap is especially acute among agriculture, forestry and land-use sectors where financial flows to support climate mitigation efforts fall 10 to 29 times below what’s necessary to meet Paris Agreement targets.
Solution to climate change mitigation lies in international cooperation. Under the UNFCCC and subsequent Paris Agreement, developed nations have set quantified economy-wide emission targets while developing nations have proposed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as plans and projects designed to achieve these reductions.
At the same time, mitigation efforts often provide co-benefits for development. For instance, efforts to preserve forests and natural landscapes often aid local livelihoods while simultaneously supporting food production, protecting water resources, and supporting biodiversity – benefits which help increase public support for transformative mitigation action.
Local governments
Local governments are at the forefront of climate change adaptation efforts and they are making great strides forward. Their work includes flood defense construction, heatwave mitigation planning and improving water storage and usage efficiency.
Towns, cities, boroughs (except in Alaska ), villages and townships–collectively known as local governments–are generally organized around a central population center and provide their citizens with parks and recreational services, police and fire departments, schools, housing development projects as well as various public works services. Citizens may serve on citizen decision bodies or advisory committees.
Owing to their status at the bottom of the federal government chain, states have managed to survive legal control and intergovernmental regulations to exercise some autonomy in three broad areas: initiative; immunity or ability to act without fear of lower-tier supervisory oversight; and concurrence or independence from higher level preemption.