Overview
(Week 10)
Many of the examples of adaptation that we’ve explored throughout this course are aimed at reducing an organization’s climate-related risks in order to make the organization more resilient to anticipated climate hazards. And though many of these strategies do result in incremental improvements in organizational and environmental performance, they often neglect the deep, systemic roots of the underlying problem.
Unlike incremental adaptation, which typically seeks to improve performance within the existing socio-ecological system, transformative adaptation proposes that true change requires profound transformation of the socio-ecological system itself. As Fedele et. al. put it: transformational adaptation “aims to reduce the root causes of vulnerabilities to climate change, such as social, cultural, economic, environmental, and power relations, by transforming them into more just, sustainable, or resilient states” (2019, pp. 116 – 7).
In the final unit of the course, you’ll pick up on the critical thread begun in Unit 1 in order to grapple with the sufficiency of the business case approach to bring about the level of change needed to address the climate crisis. The purpose of this critical examination is to further understand the limitations of a business case approach to adaptation planning and to enable you, as a climate action leader, to contemplate and articulate your vision and goals for your own leadership journey.
Activities and Assessment
- Online session
- Readings and independent exploration
- Team discussion forum
- Reflective blog #3: Incremental versus transformative adaptation (Assignment 2)
- Business Case (Assignment 3)