Myth
Climate change is a challenge of the future generation.
Reality
We are already part of the post-climate change world. This reality is often masked by the scientific progress that we rely on and take for granted. Let us consider a few facts.
Lead the Change
Re-Engineering for nature alignment
We’ve often adopted nature-friendly alternatives, even when our initial focus was efficiency. For instance, lead was once used in petrol engines to prevent knocking, but after its global toxic impact became clear, safer substitutes were introduced. Similarly, ozone-depleting substances like CFCs and HCFCs have been phased out. The same applies to harmful pesticides like DDT, now mostly banned except for limited vector control and headed for phase-out.
Food and Bio Technology
Farm output has grown manifold, even in areas once unfit for agriculture. Per-hectare yields have surged due to better nutrition, disease control, and controlled environments like greenhouses and indoor farms. Similar advances have occurred in aquaculture, fisheries, and dairy. Techniques like selective breeding and genetic modification now enable heat- and drought-resistant crops with higher yield, better taste, and shelf life—making many traditional practices unviable in today’s changed climate.
Geo Engineering
We’ve built cities, farms, and habitats in areas once considered unviable. Large cities now thrive in deserts, made possible by advances in building materials, HVAC, lighting, and other systems that ensure comfortable indoor environments despite a harsher post-industrial climate. These technologies have enabled modern cities to be far more efficient on a life cycle cost basis than their pre-industrial counterparts.
Energy Systems
The global economy is gradually decoupling from fossil fuel dependence. Over recent decades, energy systems have been reworked to reduce carbon emissions, shifting toward circular, renewable sources like solar, wind, large-scale hydro, and nuclear. Modern systems now increasingly integrate grid-scale energy storage and hydrogen value chains, supporting a more sustainable and low-carbon future.
Petroleum from energy to chemicals
Reconfiguring energy systems doesn't mean a complete end to fossil fuel use. Fossil-based energy will continue in roles like backup, balancing, and access-based needs. Meanwhile, petroleum value chains are shifting toward petrochemicals, which support sustainability in many areas. Durable, reusable plastic products, for example, are vital in domestic, industrial, and medical applications, enabling more sustainable and efficient systems.
Risks for the future
While we’ve made great strides in adapting to climate change, the risks we now face are evolving and increasingly severe. Real-world impacts are being felt across sectors: flash floods, wildfires, pollution-related shutdowns, water shortages, power grid failures, crop losses, and climate-linked viral outbreaks. These costs are often widespread and disproportionate to the emissions from any single source, making climate resilience a complex, shared challenge.
Emergent nature of Climate Systems
Climate systems are complex and emergent, meaning prediction accuracy drops over longer time horizons. Like financial markets—another emergent system—climate regulation must be risk-based and adaptive. Financial regulators set base principles and evolve rules as risks emerge; similarly, climate regulators are adopting dynamic models, leading to constantly shifting compliance requirements. Climate consulting helps organizations stay updated and prepare for future regulatory changes.
Compliance and Transition Risk
In emergent systems, compliance sets only the minimum bar. To avoid regulatory obsolescence—known as climate transition risk—organizations must stay ahead. All sectors have faced this, from BS VI norms to bans on outdated products like incandescent lamps and plastic bags. As regulations tighten and investor scrutiny grows, forward-thinking climate strategies become vital. Climate consulting unlocks not just risk management but new opportunities, guiding businesses to lead with purpose, access green finance, and thrive in a transforming global economy.v
