Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies are crucial for addressing global warming. Mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon sequestration. Adaptation involves building resilience to unavoidable climate impacts.

International efforts like the Paris Agreement set global targets for limiting warming. The IPCC provides scientific guidance to inform climate policy. Implementing these strategies requires action at all levels, from individual choices to global cooperation.

Mitigation Strategies

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Renewable energy sources reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions
  • Solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power generate electricity without releasing carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Biofuels derived from plant materials (corn, sugarcane) can replace gasoline and diesel in transportation
• Energy efficiency measures decrease energy consumption and associated emissions
  • Improved insulation, LED lighting, and energy-efficient appliances (ENERGY STAR) reduce electricity demand
  • Fuel-efficient vehicles (hybrids, electric cars) and public transportation minimize emissions from the transportation sector
• Sustainable agriculture practices lower emissions from food production
  • Reduced tillage and cover cropping sequester carbon in soils
  • Improved fertilizer management (precision application, slow-release formulas) decreases nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions
  • Anaerobic digesters capture methane (CH4) from livestock waste for use as renewable biogas

Enhancing Carbon Sinks

• Carbon sequestration removes CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it in natural or artificial reservoirs
  • Afforestation and reforestation increase carbon uptake by creating new forests or restoring degraded ones
  • Soil carbon sequestration enhances storage in agricultural soils through practices like no-till farming and adding organic matter (compost, biochar)
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies capture CO2 from industrial processes and inject it into underground geological formations for long-term storage
• Emissions trading systems (cap-and-trade) create financial incentives for reducing emissions
  • A total emissions cap is set and divided into allowances that can be traded among participating entities
  • Companies with low emissions can sell excess allowances to those exceeding their allotment, encouraging cost-effective reductions
  • Examples include the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the northeastern United States

Adaptation Measures

Building Resilience to Climate Impacts

• Climate resilience involves preparing for and adapting to the unavoidable effects of climate change
  • Developing early warning systems and evacuation plans for extreme weather events (hurricanes, floods)
  • Constructing flood defenses (seawalls, levees) and elevating buildings in coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise
  • Diversifying crop varieties and implementing irrigation to cope with changing temperature and precipitation patterns
• Green infrastructure incorporates natural elements into the built environment to mitigate climate impacts
  • Urban green spaces (parks, green roofs) reduce the urban heat island effect and absorb stormwater runoff
  • Permeable pavements allow water infiltration, decreasing flood risk and recharging groundwater
  • Constructed wetlands filter pollutants and provide habitat while also storing floodwater

Exploring Geoengineering Options

• Geoengineering encompasses large-scale interventions to counteract climate change, although these remain largely theoretical and controversial
  • Solar radiation management (SRM) techniques aim to reflect more sunlight back into space
    • Stratospheric aerosol injection would introduce reflective particles (sulfates) into the upper atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions
    • Marine cloud brightening proposes spraying seawater to thicken low-lying clouds and enhance their albedo
  • Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods seek to extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere
    • Ocean iron fertilization would stimulate phytoplankton growth to absorb more CO2, but could disrupt marine ecosystems
    • Direct air capture (DAC) uses chemical processes to filter CO2 from ambient air, but is currently energy-intensive and expensive

International Efforts

Global Agreements and Targets

• The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), commits nations to limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
  • Countries submit nationally determined contributions (NDCs) outlining their emission reduction targets and climate actions
  • The agreement includes provisions for climate finance to assist developing nations in mitigation and adaptation efforts
  • Regular global stocktakes assess collective progress and inform more ambitious NDCs every five years
• Climate policy at various levels aims to implement mitigation and adaptation measures
  • National governments set emission reduction goals, implement carbon pricing (taxes, cap-and-trade), and invest in clean energy research and development
  • Subnational actors (states, cities) develop their own climate action plans and policies (renewable portfolio standards, building codes)
  • International organizations (World Bank, Green Climate Fund) provide funding and technical assistance for climate projects in developing countries

Scientific Assessment and Guidance

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the scientific, technical, and socio-economic aspects of climate change
  • Thousands of scientists from around the world contribute to comprehensive assessment reports released every 5-7 years
  • These reports synthesize the latest research on the physical science basis, impacts and adaptation, and mitigation of climate change
  • Special reports focus on specific topics (1.5°C warming, land, oceans and cryosphere) to inform policy decisions
  • The IPCC also produces methodological reports and technical papers to support climate assessments and negotiations