Economic growth will increase the resilience of poor people to climate change. Isn’t development the best solution?
Economic development brings the diversification, flexibility and human capital that are crucial components of adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change. However, in the absence of action to control emissions, greenhouse gases will quickly reach concentrations that pose real and large risks for developed and developing countries alike. And in the absence of strong mitigation policies, the private sector will have little incentive to deliver the low-carbon technologies that will inevitably be needed to cut emissions in the future. Action to mitigate climate change can be taken at significant, but manageable, costs. It will not cap the aspirations for growth of rich or poor countries. At the same time, good development practice supports adaptation to reduce the risks of the climate change that can no longer be avoided, – for example, promoting overall development, better disaster management and emergency response arrangements, researching more climate-resilient crops and taking
