Climate Mitigation vs Climate Adaptation: What's the Difference?

Photo by USGS on Unsplash

To understand climate mitigation and climate adaptation, one first needs to understand how climate change works at a very high-level - as mitigation and adaptation are complementary ways to address it.

Human activities generate greenhouse gas emissions through many processes such as combustion which releases CO2, and release such as methane generated by cows, decomposing organic matter or released from coal mines.

Human activities such as deforestation as well as consequences of climate change such as draughts and wildfires also destroy carbon sinks (forests, grasslands...) which capture and store CO2 from the atmosphere.

If greenhouse gases were water in a bathtub, without human activities there would be as much water coming in than coming out, in an equilibrium that would last for hundreds of thousands of years. But with human intervention, the tub is getting full at a rapid rate - the tap is pouring more water, while the volume of water leaving is simultaneously getting smaller.

Ultimately, the consequence of increasing the presence of these gases in the atmosphere is that, as the name suggests, they have a greenhouse effect - they trap heat in the atmosphere, which leads to global warming, and this in turn leads to climate change.

The effect of global warming on climate is massive. Global warming refers to an increase of the average temperature of the atmosphere across the globe and throughout the year. At small levels of warming (0.1°C warming), the effects are hardly noticeable. But global warming has exponential effects for higher increases.

Climate depends on a variety of systems which are currently at an equilibrium, such as oceanic currents, atmospheric temperature and humidity, and polar ice caps. These all depend on the temperature of air and water - and changes in temperatures can tip these equilibriums into a new state: interrupted oceanic currents, melted ice caps, and high local temperatures.

The higher the increase, the higher the magnitude of the consequences - to the point that beyond 1.5°C warming, the climate could spiral out of control, with a risk of billions of deaths.

Some regions will become lethal to live in due to deadly temperatures for which the body is not adapted. Sea level will slowly rise to swallow up large chunks of land. Extreme meteorological events will increase in frequency and intensity, and food systems will be under significant stress, or unable to feed populations at all.

Climate Mitigation & Adaptation - Two Ways To Solve The Problem

Climate mitigation refers to efforts to reduce, prevent or re-absorb emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global warming. That translates to avoidance of emissions, reduction of emissions and removal of atmospheric gases.

The primary goal is to stabilise and eventually reduce the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere to limit the magnitude of future climate change.

Examples include:

• Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (avoidance) - Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power.

• Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (reduction) - Improving energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industry.

• Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (reduction) - Reducing and managing waste.

• Mitigating emissions & preserving carbon sinks (avoidance, reduction, removal) - Promoting sustainable agriculture and forestry practices.

• Mitigating emissions & preserving carbon sinks (avoidance, reduction, removal) - Reducing deforestation and promoting reforestation.

• Compensating for hard-to-abate emissions (removal) - Implementing removal technologies such as biochar and Direct Air Capture.

Climate adaptation involves adjusting to the current and expected future impacts of climate change to minimise harm and take advantage of any opportunities.

The primary goal is to reduce the vulnerability of communities, ecosystems, and economies to the impacts of climate change.

Examples include:

• Building flood defenses and improving infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events.

• Developing drought-resistant crops and improving water management practices.

• Implementing early warning systems for heatwaves, storms, and other climate-related hazards.

• Protecting and restoring ecosystems that provide natural buffers against climate impacts, such as mangroves and wetlands.

• Enhancing public health systems to respond to climate-related health risks.

  
  

In summary, mitigation focuses on reducing the causes of climate change, while adaptation focuses on managing the impacts. The timeframes are also generally different as mitigation efforts aim to address long-term climate stability, whereas adaptation efforts are often more immediate and localised. Last but not least, mitigation is a global challenge that requires international cooperation, while adaptation can be implemented at various levels, from local to national.

Both are important - but it's important to know that adaptation is limited. We can adapt the best we can to mild climate change, but anything beyond 1.5°C warming is likely to be extremely hard to adapt to. Forests can be subject to wildfires and agricultural systems can be fully disrupted - in such conditions, trying to adapt would look like trying to re-write the laws of nature (temperature, humidity, effects on vegetation and soils).That's why we hear about mitigation more often than adaptation and why mitigation is so crucial.

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