Publications

The challenges of adapting to climate change

28 April 2010 - Climate Report - By : Maria MANSANET-BATALLER

By Maria MANSANET-BATALLER

In its Fourth Synthesis Report published in 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demonstrated that in spite of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, certain impacts of climate change will be inevitable. Two types of measures are necessary to confront climate change: mitigation measures and adaptation measures. Mitigation measures will make it possible to limit climate change, while the objective of adaptation measures is to reduce the vulnerability of natural and socio-economic systems and thus to react to climate change at least cost.
The adaptation to climate change exhibits certain characteristics that differ significantly from the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions: (i) the benefits of adaptation policies are of a local nature, while the benefits in the case of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are global; (ii) a dual uncertainty concerning the future climate and the impacts of climate change on systems must be taken into consideration in the implementation of adaptation policies; and (iii) continued utilization of frames of reference that may be rendered obsolete in the near future can hinder the development of adaptation measures.

The challenges of adapting to climate change Download
To learn more
  • 12/08/2023 Foreword of the week
    Private finance: it’s time to rethink the European strategy

    There is a broad consensus that private finance has an important role to play in financing the climate transition, given the scale of needs and the constraints on public finances. Beyond investments in climate alone, all financial activities must be reoriented to be compatible with the transition. This shift cannot take place on a voluntary basis at the scale and speed required. The inactivity of financial players, the weight of past financing, and the demands of shareholder profitability limit the effectiveness of voluntary international initiatives to which private financial players commit themselves.

  • 12/05/2023
    For an articulated approach to economic policy and financial regulation to deal with climate challenges

    La transition net‑zéro, c’est-à-dire la transformation vers une économie neutre en carbone et résiliente, est un défi majeur et urgent pour réduire les effets du changement climatique. Cette transformation nécessite la transition et l’adaptation de toutes les activités et de tous les agents économiques. Elle relève d’abord de la sphère économique réelle et doit s’appuyer sur une feuille de route opérationnelle des actions à mener. Celle-ci doit être définie par une politique économique ambitieuse (budgétaire, fiscale, monétaire, réglementation des produits et des secteurs, etc.).

  • 12/01/2023 Foreword of the week
    COP28 : It’s money time !

    COP28 in Dubai kicks off amidst a worrying climate backdrop. For the first time, the threshold of a 2°C temperature rise compared to the pre-industrial era was exceeded in one day. In addition, a report published by the UN this week warns that current policies are placing the planet on a warming trajectory of 2.9°C, and that the chances of maintaining the increase at +1.5°C are now of only 14%. The results of the first Global Stocktake, a worldwide assessment of the actions taken by countries since the Paris Agreement, will be published at the COP and should confirm the urgent need to change the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. 

See all publications
Press contact Amélie FRITZ Head of Communication and press relations Email
Subscribe to our mailing list :
I register !
Subscribe to our newsletter
Once a week, receive all the information on climate economics
I register !
Fermer