Climate Change Mitigation

Liz Bentley

25 years: Meteorologist

The most important climate action we can take is to mitigate the greenhouse gases being released. Join Liz Bentley as she explores key mitigation strategies.

Climate & Biodiversity

The most important climate action we can take is to mitigate the greenhouse gases being released. Join Liz Bentley as she explores key mitigation strategies.

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Climate Change Mitigation

14 mins 31 secs

Key learning objectives:

Define climate change mitigation
Outline the key mitigation strategies
Identify government, corporate and individual mitigation strategies

Overview:

Climate change mitigation refers to actions taken to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to limit the extent of climate change and its impacts. There are 4 overall key strategies: transitioning to renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, land management and supporting research and development. Governments, businesses and individuals can all mitigate their climate change impact by utilising these strategies.

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Summary

What is climate change mitigation?

This refers to actions taken to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to limit the extent of climate change and its impacts.

What are the overall key mitigation strategies?

1. Renewable energy transition

The world must transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind and geothermal).

2. Increasing energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industry can significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Land management

Practising sustainable farming practices (such as crop rotation, reduced tillage and organic fertilisers) and utilising peatlands can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

4. Supporting research and development

Researching and developing new technologies can provide us with innovations that can work around current limitations.

What are the key government mitigation strategies?

Governments can set ambitious targets, which can include regulations on emissions, incentives for renewable energy and taxes on carbon emissions. They can invest in development and deployment of renewable energy and encourage energy efficiency via building regulations. Governments can also provide climate financial support to developing countries.

What are the key corporate mitigation strategies?

Businesses can improve energy efficiency, transition to renewable energy sources, reducing waste and implementing sustainable transportation practices. They can adopt science-based targets and use their influence to advocate for climate-friendly policies. Businesses can also work with their suppliers to implement sustainable practices across their supply chain and undertake their own climate-related risk assessments.

What are the key individual mitigation strategies?

The biggest impact individuals can make is by reducing their transportation emissions by walking, cycling, taking public transportation, fewer flights or driving an electric vehicle. Another significant change that individuals can make is to switch to use renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power or refurbishing to improve energy efficiency.

Subscribe to watch

Access this and all of the content on our platform by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Liz Bentley

Professor Liz Bentley is the Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, a not-for-profit organisation based in the UK. Her career in meteorology spans over 30 years and she has worked at the Met Office, BBC, and in Government. She is a regular contributor to the major broadcasters, delivering over 200 media interviews each year.

There are no available Videos from "Liz Bentley"