To survive a warming planet, humanity must master two distinct, complementary strategies for climate action.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Climate change is a global problem with local consequences that will persist for millennia. Because we are already committed to future warming, we must pursue a two-pronged approach: mitigation to stop the buildup of greenhouse gases, and adaptation to protect our societies from the changes we cannot prevent.

Mitigation targets the root cause of climate change: the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This involves two primary strategies: reducing the flow of emissions—largely from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transport—and enhancing natural or technological 'sinks' that store carbon, such as forests, oceans, and direct air capture systems. The goal is to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas levels, allowing ecosystems to adapt naturally and ensuring sustainable economic development.

However, mitigation alone is insufficient because we have already 'locked in' significant warming. Adaptation is the necessary counterpart, focusing on adjusting human systems to current and future climate impacts. This ranges from building flood defenses and retrofitting infrastructure to developing drought-resistant crops and managing water resources. Proactive adaptation, like the embankments and drainage systems in Mongla, Bangladesh, helps communities withstand rising sea levels, whereas reactive measures often involve costly rebuilding after disasters have already struck.

Despite the urgency, global efforts remain misaligned. The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit warming to 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, yet emissions continue to rise. Furthermore, funding is heavily skewed toward mitigation, with adaptation receiving a smaller share. Wealthy nations have pledged $100 billion annually to support developing countries, but they have consistently fallen short of these commitments. As the United Nations notes, the need for adaptation is growing faster than the resources allocated to it, leaving vulnerable populations at risk of severe hardship.

Ultimately, the two prongs must work in tandem. Mitigation makes the future as manageable as possible, while adaptation shields us from the changes already in the pipeline. The sooner we halt the rise of greenhouse gases and invest in resilient infrastructure, the less we will spend on long-term recovery and the more lives and livelihoods we will preserve.

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