Climate strategy: The difference between adapting to and mitigating climate change.

Climate officers in companies have to justify their climate strategy to internal decision-makers, customers, partners and often also to their own convictions. At the very beginning, questions arise about terminology, but also about starting points. One of these is the definition of the company's own climate strategy: should it be based on long-term goals or medium-term measures? Both approaches are examined here as “adaptation” to climate change versus “mitigation” of climate change.

Whether CSRD or CSDDD, it is clear: companies must reduce emissions and climate risks - where they arise. Manage the climate transformation of your supply chain now!

Two responses to one challenge

The main difference between adaptation to climate change and mitigation of climate change is that adaptation refers to measures to reduce the negative consequences of climate change, while mitigation refers to efforts to limit the emission of greenhouse gases.

It is therefore easy to see that adaptation and mitigation are two - almost political - responses to acute climate change. However, it is usually difficult to bring politics into the company. So here is an attempt at a rational overview.

What is climate change adaptation?

Adaptation to climate change refers to the measures taken to reduce the adverse effects of climate change. Even if greenhouse gas emissions are stabilized in the long term through climate protection, the effects of global warming (approx. 0.8°C) that have already taken place will continue for many years. Adaptation is therefore absolutely essential in order to counter the ongoing climate change. Adaptation therefore includes taking appropriate measures to prevent or reduce the damage caused by weather-related damage, water shortages or resource scarcity.

Adaptation measures include, for example

Flood barriers
Development of drought-resistant plants
More efficient use of scarce water resources
Development of effective early warning systems
Creation of coastal buffer zones
Using tree species and forestry practices that are less susceptible to fires and storms

But what is meant by mitigation, climate protection?

Mitigation refers to efforts to prevent or stop the emission of greenhouse gases. Specifically, the Paris Climate Agreement agrees to limit global warming to well below 1.5°C. Mitigation measures therefore serve to actively protect the climate and can also include the capture and storage of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Mitigation measures include, for example

Use of renewable energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower)
Change in human behavior
Use of new, energy-efficient technologies
Avoiding deforestation and planting trees

In other words, mitigating climate change involves both the reduction of greenhouse gases and the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Climate change mitigation is therefore generally referred to as climate protection.

What is the difference between adaptation and mitigation of climate change?

The key difference between climate change adaptation and mitigation is that climate change adaptation refers to the measures taken to reduce the existing negative impacts or past damages of climate change. Climate change mitigation, on the other hand, refers to efforts to limit current and future emissions.

Adaptation versus mitigation

To summarize the difference between adaptation and mitigation for climate officers in companies: There is the question of the timeframe of one's climate measures. Sooner or later, every company will have to deal with the consequences of climate change; many are already actively feeling the changes in the supply chain or even on their own doorstep. If the decision is made to tackle these consequences first, measures to limit the damage must be prioritized. If the company wants to position itself for the future, tap into new market opportunities and fully integrate climate protection into its own activities, a clear CO2 reduction strategy is the logical next step.

Is climate neutrality part of climate protection?

Climate neutrality is the process of: Measuring, reducing and offsetting CO2 and therefore lies on the spectrum between adaptation and mitigation. If a company continues to measure and offset CO2, these measures are not recognized as CO2 reduction measures by the Science-Based Target Initiative, for example.

However, the comprehensive analysis of a company's own CO2 emissions and the verification of individual emission sources is the cornerstone of every CO2 reduction measure. Compared to conventional approaches, potential savings also become visible. If some of these can only be implemented after long transformation processes, the UN recommends offsetting “unavoidable” emissions in order to become climate neutral. As things stand today: no company can achieve “net zero” emissions through CO2 reduction alone.