Transition, Resilience, and Reconstruction

In the long run, responding to the challenge of climate change is going to require a de-carbonized economy with different energy systems and reconceptualized social-ecological relationships. Given the magnitude of the task, quite how to move in this direction remains a matter of some contention. In this chapter we examine several potentially complementary approaches, though nobody has yet identified the key to transition, and we do not resolve all the big questions about how to proceed. This coverage of a variety of innovations also makes sense in light of the failure to date of established centers of power—be they the global economic system, UNFCCC negotiations, or national governments—to craft effective responses. We group innovations under social resilience, new thinking about economics, new movements that embody this thinking, and new governance. Some developments are incremental, some more radical. These developments give us something more upbeat to end on, showing that transition is already being lived, if only, so far, on the margins of societies. In Chapter 4 we looked at the importance of adaptation, especially in light of current global failure to advance on the mitigation front. Adger et al. (2011a: 757) point out that “adaptive responses are not equal in terms of the sustainability of resource use, energy intensity, reduction of vulnerability, or in the distribution of their benefits.” While the international community has had difficulty in coming to terms with adaptation (even by 2011 the Green Climate Fund adopted at the Durban meeting of UNFCCC covered adaptation but omitted any clear definition of the term), it does hold significant potential. Adaptation does not have to be defeatist, and indeed can be linked to empowerment— we adapt by recognizing “that human beings can protect themselves from damage by living harmoniously with their atmospheric environment” and reduce their vulnerability to climate change (Burton, 1994: 15). In this section we consider how adaptation might contribute to transition. On the academic side, adaptation to environmental change is increasingly understood in terms of the concept of resilience. According to the multinational Resilience Alliance (2013), “A resilient ecosystem can withstand shocks and rebuild itself when necessary.