The Roles of the Private Sector in Climate Change Adaptation – an Introduction

Climate change is set to become one of the most significant – if not the most significant – challenges for economies and societies within the next decades. Adapting to its impacts will be crucial for human wellbeing.

While the role and responsibilities of the public sector for supporting adaptation and building resilience have been in focus for a long time, awareness for the need to address and engage the private sector has steadily grown.

This introduction shows that companies of any size, private associations and cooperatives, banks and investors as well as insurance companies can play three different roles in and for adaptation. They can adapt to climate change, finance climate adaptation of others and support others through products and services for resilience.

Further publications of the project:

• Bottom-Up Innovation for Adaptation Financing

• Steering International Adaptation Finance Towards the Local Level

• Working Together for Climate Resilience

• Financing adaptation to climate change – an introduction