Climate change mitigation addresses climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing their removal from the atmosphere. It tackles the causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect, whereas adaptation reduces harmful consequences.
This is IB ESS subtopic 6.3, Climate change: mitigation and adaptation. Most strategies are core content for SL and HL; geoengineering is HL only.
| Strategy | Mechanism and example |
|---|---|
| Decarbonization | Replaces fossil fuels with low-carbon energy including solar and wind power, reducing emissions of . Electrifying transport is effective when the electricity supply is decarbonized. |
| Energy conservation and efficiency | Reduces energy demand through public transport, insulation and efficient appliances. Lower demand means less fossil-fuel combustion. |
| Carbon sinks | Afforestation, reforestation, wetland restoration and improved soil management increase carbon sequestration. Costa Rica's forest restoration shows how policy can expand forest carbon storage. |
| Economic and legal measures | Carbon taxes, emissions-trading systems, fossil-fuel regulations and renewable-energy incentives alter the behaviour of producers and consumers. International cooperation, including the Paris Agreement, coordinates emission-reduction commitments. |
| Carbon capture and geoengineering | Carbon capture and storage removes from industrial emissions. HL students should recognize that geoengineering treats symptoms rather than causes and may create uncertain environmental or political risks. |
No single strategy is sufficient. Mitigation is most effective when technological change, reduced consumption, ecosystem protection and coordinated policy operate together.
Strategy choice reflects perspectives: technocentric approaches may prioritize carbon capture, while ecocentric approaches may prefer reduced consumption and ecosystem restoration. Environmental justice requires avoiding disproportionate costs for low-income groups and countries that contributed least to climate change.
Exam technique: For an explain question, link each strategy to reduced emissions or increased carbon sequestration. For evaluate or discuss, compare benefits and limitations, use a named example, consider perspectives and justice, and finish with a supported conclusion. Avoid the misconception that adaptation is mitigation.