Adapting to the challenges of a changing climate is imperative

The global climate is changing, and will continue to change, in ways that affect everything we do. It impacts the way that we live, the way we plan for the future and the way we operate.

It affects the way businesses, local government and other agencies deliver goods and services and allocate resources. A changing climate impacts the community, supply chains, economies, ecosystems and infrastructure. Its bearing on the ability and capacity to be resilient into the future is significant.

The climate is changing around the globe, subjecting the planet to higher mean temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, sea level rise and ocean acidification.

We know that major mitigating of greenhouse gas emissions is required to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels thereby avoiding the worst effects of climate change. We also know that uncertainty is king and planning to adapt is critically important.

It is important to identify as early as possible how climate change will affect the region or regions most important to your operations.

Many parts of the world are already facing these changes and its related challenges. In the last two years, many regions in Australia have experienced drought, catastrophic bushfires and flooding events substantially impacting water resources, infrastructure, communities’ health and wellbeing, agriculture and biodiversity. In the same period, New Zealand experienced previously unheard-of bushfire, parts of the UK faced extreme winter flooding and winter storms in Texas wreaked havoc on the US states power grid and water services.

Costs are enormous in terms of human, physical and ecological damage and loss.

Being able to adapt to the challenges of a changing climate is imperative to minimise the impacts and increase resilience capacity. A good place to start is with a climate change risk assessment to identify, analyse and evaluate climate risks and identify treatment options.

An up to date risk assessment will ensure you can prioritise and manage risks with planned adaptation strategies that avoid or minimise the impacts of climate change and reduce the costs of impact response. The earlier adaptation is adopted the less it will cost. There is no better time than right now to begin to assess the impacts of a changing climate and to make plans to adapt to the changing nature of climate risk now and in the future.

Cress can help you to identify the impacts of climate change on your organisation and to identify mitigation and adaptation measures to ensure your activities can continue with minimal disruption.

If you’d like to talk more about how assessing climate change could be of benefit please contact us here.