Mitigation and adaptation

Objective: Explain mitigation and adaptation, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Mitigation: Mitigation limits climate change by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions or enhancing appropriate removals. Adaptation: Adaptation adjusts systems to reduce harm from actual or expected climate effects. Mitigation addresses causes, while adaptation changes vulnerability to effects. Neither guarantees the absence of every future risk. Carbon removals require attention to durability, additionality, and possible reversals. An adaptation can transfer harm or create new dependencies, so evaluate neighboring areas and affected populations. Resilience should identify the functions being protected. Fair planning considers unequal exposure, resources, participation, and access to the benefits of action. Application: A project replaces high-emission energy with lower-emission supply. This most directly illustrates mitigation. A city changes drainage design for heavier rainfall. This most directly illustrates adaptation.

Objective: Explain resilience and carbon sink, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Resilience: Resilience is the capacity to withstand, recover from, or adapt to disturbances under a defined framework. Carbon sink: A carbon sink takes up more carbon than it releases over the stated period. Mitigation addresses causes, while adaptation changes vulnerability to effects. Neither guarantees the absence of every future risk. Carbon removals require attention to durability, additionality, and possible reversals. An adaptation can transfer harm or create new dependencies, so evaluate neighboring areas and affected populations. Resilience should identify the functions being protected. Fair planning considers unequal exposure, resources, participation, and access to the benefits of action. Application: A community maintains essential services during a heat event. This most directly illustrates resilience. A growing ecosystem accumulates carbon in vegetation and soil. This most directly illustrates carbon sink.

Objective: Explain maladaptation and climate equity, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Maladaptation: Maladaptation increases vulnerability or shifts risk despite an intended adaptation benefit. Climate equity: Climate equity examines differences in responsibility, vulnerability, resources, and distribution of benefits and burdens. Mitigation addresses causes, while adaptation changes vulnerability to effects. Neither guarantees the absence of every future risk. Carbon removals require attention to durability, additionality, and possible reversals. An adaptation can transfer harm or create new dependencies, so evaluate neighboring areas and affected populations. Resilience should identify the functions being protected. Fair planning considers unequal exposure, resources, participation, and access to the benefits of action. Application: A protective structure reduces one site's flooding but worsens downstream risk. This most directly illustrates maladaptation. A plan considers households with limited access to cooling. This most directly illustrates climate equity.