Making adaptation a global ambition

This statement from the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that climate change adaptation must be treated as a global, transboundary ambition rather than a local matter, while emphasizing that adaptation cannot replace the urgent need for emissions mitigation.

• Climate change adaptation is a global concern rather than a local one because climate risks cross borders through international trade, supply chains, capital flows, human mobility, and shared natural resources.
• Adaptation efforts by one country can inadvertently redistribute climate risk to other nations instead of reducing the overall risk. An example is provided where India's decision to halt rice exports due to drought forecasts caused rice prices to triple in Senegal in 2008, leading to rioting and political instability in Dakar.
• Economic risks from climate-induced disruptions in international trade can outweigh direct domestic impacts. A study by the Swiss consultancy INFRAS for the German Environment Agency found that the economic risk of trade disruptions for Germany was greater than the combined risk of all direct climate impacts within its own borders.
• Current global adaptation goals lack the operational mechanisms and clarity found in mitigation goals. While Article 7 of the Paris Agreement aims to enhance adaptive capacity and resilience, there is no mechanism to unify visions or accelerate the protection of societies.
• Adaptation cannot be a substitute for mitigation. The author argues that it is impossible to 'adapt our way out' of the crisis and warns that if global temperatures rise by the 2.7° to 3.1°C suggested by current policy models, adaptation will become increasingly difficult or impossible.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Making adaptation a global ambition. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/making-adaptation-a-global-ambition/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Making adaptation a global ambition. 2021. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/making-adaptation-a-global-ambition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Making adaptation a global ambition |date=6 September 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/making-adaptation-a-global-ambition/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021making, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Making adaptation a global ambition}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/making-adaptation-a-global-ambition/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }