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2. Adaptation to climate change
People may account for climate impacts for different reasons. Different standards are suited to these different applications of cliamte accounting. This includes.
- Understanding the physical processes
- Taking / allocating responsibility for contributions to climate change
- Choose between alternative courses of action
Alternative: Classification according to position on the impact pathway
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1. Drivers: These are the macro forces [anthropogenic and natural] that drive the causal chain (i.e. give rise to activities that lead to the actual emissions [pressures]).
2. Pressures: Pressures are the direct emissions of greenhouse agente into the atmosphere. A pressure is the result of an activity (antropomorphic)or process (natural).
3. States: Environmental pressures lead to changes in environmental states such as the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere or the temperature of the sea.
4. Impacts: Changes in states have impacts on nature and society. These are not the primary effect of the greenhouse agents (warming of the atmosphere due to increased radiative forcing - this is accounted for uner states) but the further effects of this warming.
5. Actions: People take action to reduce pressures, alter states, mitigate impacts.
Interoperability
Comparing across positions on the impact pathways is difficult (although not in principle inconceivable). E.g. It is difficult to directly compare an action directly related to a pressure (like driving a car or operaring a power station) with an action aimed at changing the actions of others (such as implementing a policy, providing an incentive or providing information). The first type of activity resorts under Pressures while the second addressed Drivers.
What is standardised in climate mitigation standards?
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