The Solutions Agenda

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

In light of the most recent IPCC Assessment , it is clear that immediate and unprecedented action is needed to address the climate imperative. Climate change is an issue to which communities across the planet are contributing while suffering its effects. It is, therefore, a global challenge necessitating unprecedented levels of national and international governmental cooperation. Accordingly, the issue cannot be ignored if we are to transform current development paths to more sustainable ones. The current fossil fuel pathology cannot continue; policies and incentives need to be put into place to ensure the development and implementation of renewable energy and low-carbon innovations become commonplace across the country. In addition, we need to recognize that the climate has already changed our world and understand how to adapt to these new conditions. As a society, we need to plan for a transition to a carbon neutral economy. These efforts not only contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, but also provide important co-benefits for communities such as increased air quality and improved health outcomes.

  1. Eliminate all oil and gas subsidies immediately

  2. Implement a nation-wide price on carbon

  3. Develop carbon supply-chain tracking on all consumer products by 2018

  4. Incentivize community-owned renewable energy systems, through legislative and market strategies

  5. Implement a nationwide Climate Action Charter and commit to a carbon neutral economy by 2050

  6. Systematically reduce the current infrastructure deficit in current building stock, looking at differential incentives for rental buildings

  7. Increase the energy performance requirements in the building codes to international best practice levels

  8. Implement national energy security and food security legislation

  9. Explore and incentivize opportunities for regenerative sustainability solutions that move beyond net zero to net positive incomes, and in so doing simultaneously improve both environmental and community well-being

  10. Adopt California’s automobile emissions standards

Intertia, Meeting the Climate Change Challenge (MC3) Video Series from Community Research Connections on Vimeo.


It is not the strongest nor the most intelligent of the species that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.

(Charles Darwin)