Introduction

Jeni Barton, Jay Foster

The Fifth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was published in early 2014. In addition to expressing a “high confidence” in anthropogenic climate change, the report introduced a new emphasis on adapting to climate change. The Report’s “Summary for Policymakers” declared, “Adaptation and mitigation are complementary strategies for reducing and managing the risks of climate change." Just a little later the report advises that, “Adaptation can reduce the risks of climate change impacts, but there are limits to its effectiveness…a longer-term perspective, in the context of sustainable development, increases the likelihood that more immediate adaptation actions will also enhance future options and preparedness.” In other words, adapting to the climate change that is underway is important, but to be effective, adaptation needs to take place in the context of sustainable development strategies. This highlights a recurring motif of the Fifth Assessment Report: adaptation now comes before mitigation. The IPCC still strongly recommends mitigating (i.e., reducing) global emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). But there is also an urgent need to build what the Report, somewhat euphemistically, calls “adaptive capacity.” The overall message is clear: the effects of climate change are coming and we should try to keep them to a minimum, but people will be better able to cope with the effects if we begin to adapt to a warmer world right away.