Managing global climate change

Managing Global Climate Change: Strategies and Policies

• International cooperation and agreements are paramount in managing global climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a key example, outlining a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change.

• The Paris Agreement is another significant international treaty, aiming to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It advocates for countries to update their climate plans every five years, increasing their ambition in tackling climate change.

• National policies and legislation also play a crucial role, such as national carbon pricing, renewable energy targets and emissions trading schemes.

• Climate action plans, often called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the UN process, outline what each country is doing to reduce emissions and address climate change.

Adapting to Climate Change

• Adaptation strategies are often local or regional, tailored to specific climates and vulnerabilities. These may include infrastructure changes, like building sea walls to protect against rising sea levels, or developing drought-resistant crops.

• Climate-proofing is becoming a central aspect of city planning: new buildings and infrastructures are designed to withstand future climate conditions, not just present ones. This may include enhanced insulation, flood barriers, or the use of sustainable, heat-resilient building materials.

Geoengineering Solutions

• Geoengineering refers to large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system aimed at counteracting climate change. These include Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methods, such as afforestation, ocean fertilisation, or carbon capture and storage.

• Solar Radiation Management (SRM) methods aim to reflect a small amount of sunlight back into space, thus cooling the planet. This could be achieved by increasing the Earth’s albedo or by mimicking the effects of volcanic eruptions with aerosols in the stratosphere.

• Geoengineering approaches are highly controversial due to their potential side effects and the ethical issues surrounding their use. Hence, they are considered complementary strategies to mitigation and adaptation, and are not a substitute for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Public Awareness and Lifestyle Changes

• Increasing public awareness about climate change is key to driving behavioural changes. This could include campaigns to promote sustainable choices like recycling, reducing consumption, and shifting to a plant-based diet.

• Education initiatives to embed climate literacy in schools, and corporate disclosure requirements to force businesses to reveal their carbon footprints, can also contribute to managing climate change.

• Collective efforts are required at every level - from individual actions to governmental policies - to effectively manage climate change and its impacts.