Climate change mitigation entails taking measures to avoid or minimize its adverse impacts, from advocating low carbon energy sources to altering consumer behavior.
Reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases while improving sinks (such as expanding forest cover). Our ultimate aim should be to stabilize global average temperatures.
Long-lived greenhouse gases
Long-lived greenhouse gases like CO2 persist for decades or more in the atmosphere, with most coming from fossil fuel combustion and cement production processes. Their warming effect on climate – known as radiative forcing – relative to 1750 is measured.
At present, atmospheric concentrations of long-lived gases such as methane are continuing to increase at an alarming rate, due to emissions outpacing their removal from the atmosphere through natural processes. Their long lifetimes, greater Global Warming Potential than CO2 and unknown future emissions make efforts made solely to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions ineffective against their accumulation in the atmosphere.
Mitigation strategies designed to lower long-lived greenhouse gas emissions include cutting their emission rates through reduced consumption, energy efficiency measures and increasing sinks such as forests. Demand side measures that could contribute to this are walking or cycling to work or taking public transit, avoiding long-haul flights altogether, changing diets or improving cook stove design as well as taxing high emission technologies or encouraging low emission technology development as incentive mechanisms.
Short-lived climate pollutants
As part of its efforts to combat climate change, the world should address short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). These include gases and particulates like black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and hydrofluorocarbons which account for half of human-caused global warming so far; they have shorter atmospheric lifetimes than carbon dioxide yet their direct warming potential is several times greater.
Air pollution degrades air quality and has direct ramifications on food, water and economic security for large populations worldwide. Reducing SLCPs quickly and affordably is possible and has immediate climate and development benefits that help countries meet their targets under Paris Agreement. Countries have begun communicating more specific plans for reducing short-lived climate pollutants as part of their nationally determined commitments. Environment and Climate Change Canada developed a strategy for combatting these pollutants that is compatible with the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Additionally, this strategy includes compiling an inventory of methane and HFC emissions across Canada in collaboration with provinces and territories.
Adaptation
Adaptation refers to efforts taken to make systems and people more resistant to climate change impacts, whether these be infrastructure such as embankments, drainage and flood control gates for cities dealing with rising sea levels or natural solutions like restoring wetlands that buffer hurricanes; behavioral or policy modifications like planting drought-resistant crops could all play a part.
EEA climate change adaptation research contributes to efforts to mitigate economic costs and risks related to climate change, by finding better methods of evaluating cost-effectiveness of adaptation measures using approaches such as benefit-cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and multi-criteria analysis. These tools are described in more depth in its publication Assessing Costs and Benefits of Adaptation Options (Step 4 of Climate-ADAPT Adaptation Support Tool).
To increase investments in adaptive actions and mitigate losses associated with unavoidable climate change impacts. Although adaptation can reduce some costs related to residual climate change impacts, some costs remain.
Technology
Climate technology includes many incredible inventions, from drought-resistant crops and sea walls to energy efficiency practices and early warning systems. Climate tech ranges from drought-resistant crops and sea walls to energy efficiency practices and early warning systems; from complex air capture plants to simple energy-saving washer and dryers. Implementation requires leadership, innovation and investment.
These technologies can significantly lower human emissions of climate-altering greenhouse gases and improve Earth’s ability to absorb them, either by decreasing sources or expanding sinks (like oceans or forests) for carbon dioxide absorption.
These technologies can also reduce climate change’s pace and mitigate its most severe impacts. According to ACCL model, none of these technologies alone will meet Paris Agreement goals alone; we therefore must combine them with other mitigation strategies like low-carbon business models, financial mechanisms, supportive policies regulations and strategies in order to reach these targets.