As we witness the increasing impacts of climate change, international negotiations on how to adapt societies and how to fund adaptation efforts are ongoing within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Transformational adaptation has recently emerged as a new concept in international climate diplomacy. Transformative change involves more than just technical and other practical solutions for adapting societies to a changing climate. It calls attention also to changes in structures and views. Yet, interpretations of what is meant by transformational adaptation vary, and there is no consensus among policymakers and researchers.
References to transformation toward decarbonization has met resistance in the climate negotiations, and adaptation has for long been a contentious issue. This project examines if and how the growing focus on transformational adaptation is altering the dynamics of international climate diplomacy. It probes to what extent transformational adaptation is a concept with potential to build common ground in the negotiations by bridging mitigation and adaptation in support of the system transformations envisioned in the UNFCCC Global Stocktake process and the UN 2030 Agenda. To this end, we analyse how different actors, in different contexts, make sense of the why, what and how of transformational adaptation.
The project combines quantitative and qualitative approaches including surveys and in-depth interviews with COP participants, document analysis, and a unique cross-country case study of adaptation implementation actors in Cabo Verde, Fiji, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.
If transformational adaptation gains increasing influence in international negotiations, it could be a game-changer for climate diplomacy. But it could also prove to be a concept that adds to existing conflict lines. Either way, the project’s sense-making approach will help clarify commonalities and differences among actors, thus helping to identify and foresee conflicts and ways forward for climate adaptation.
