7.3 Climate change - mitigation & adaptation
Mitigation
Adaptation
reduction and/or stabilisation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their removal from the atmosphere
Strategies
Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Geo-engineering
Stabilise or reduce GHG emissions
reduction of energy consumption
use of alternatives to fossil fuels
reduction of emissions of nitrogen oxides and methane from agriculture
Strategies
the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities
Reduce overall energy demand
Carbon taxes
Reduce waste by using energy more efficiently
Carbon credits
Improve efficiency of energy production
reduce methane production
capture methane from landfill sites
sustainable agriculture
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Use more biomass
Increase amount of photosynthesis through afforestation
Release SO2 from airplanes to increase global dimming
Send mirrors to space between Earth and Sun to deflect solar radiation
Scatter iron, nitrates, or phosphates on oceans to increase algal bloom & become a carbon sink
Build with light coloured roofs to increase albedo & reflect more sunlight
Build to resist flooding
Change agricultural production
Change land use through planning legislation
Manage the weather
Plan water catchment and run-off to minimise fooding
Build houses on stilts or with garages which can be flooded underneath
Do not allow building on food plains
Store rainwater for times of water shortage
Breed drought tolerant crops
Irrigate more effectively in drought areas
Grow different crops
Seed clouds to encourage rainfall
Plant trees to encourage more rainfall
Vaccinate against waterborne diseases
Migrate to other areas
Manage water supplies
Increase reservoirs
Harvest run-off more effectively
Desalination plants
Use water harvesting from clouds in higher areas
International action
Paris Agreement
IPCC
Kyoto protocol
world signed up to an agreement that called for the stabilisation of greenhouse gas emissions at safe levels that would avoid serious climate change
aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent of their 1990 levels by 2012
President Obama of the USA is keen to cut carbon emissions by between 26 per cent and 28 per cent of 2005 levels by 2025
China’s President Xi Jinping offered a time-scale for peak emissions by 2030
the EU agreed a 40 per cent cut in greenhouse emissions by 2030 compared with1990
international body for assessing the science related to climate
change. It was set up by the WMO and UNEP to provide policymakers with regular assessments of climate change, its impacts and future risks
NAPAs
a list of ranked priority adaptation activities and projects
focus on urgent and immediate needs – those for which further delay could increase vulnerability or lead to increased costs at a later stage
use existing information, are action oriented and country driven