Adapting to Unavoidable Change
Technologies and strategies to build resilience against climate impacts already locked in
Your Progress
Section 1 of 5Beyond Mitigation: Living with Climate Change
Even with aggressive emissions reductions, 1.5-2°C warming is now inevitable due to atmospheric CO₂ already emitted. This locked-in warming brings unavoidable climate impacts.
Adaptation means adjusting systems, infrastructure, and behaviors to reduce vulnerability to these impacts. While mitigation addresses the cause of climate change, adaptation addresses the consequences.
The adaptation imperative is urgent: climate damages already cost $2.6 trillion annually. Without adaptation investment, costs could reach $5-10 trillion/year by 2050. Yet every dollar spent on adaptation yields $4-10 in avoided damages and economic benefits.
Mitigation
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit future warming
- •Renewable energy deployment
- •Carbon capture technologies
- •Electrification of transport
- •Benefits realized decades ahead
Adaptation
Building resilience to climate impacts we cannot avoid
- •Heat-resistant infrastructure
- •Drought-tolerant crops
- •Coastal flood defenses
- •Benefits immediate and local
Interactive Climate Risk Heat Map
Explore major climate risks and their adaptation strategies
💡 The Adaptation Gap
Current global adaptation spending: ~$30 billion/year. Estimated need by 2030: $300-500 billion/year. This 10-15× funding gap means billions face climate risks without adequate protection. Closing the gap requires not just more money, but smarter deployment of adaptation technologies, nature-based solutions, and inclusive planning that prioritizes vulnerable communities.