Goal conflicts in adaptation to climate change

• Two fundamental policy approaches exist to reduce the environmental, economic, and social threats posed by climatechange: mitigation and adaptation. Adaptation has gradually received more attention in international policy discussions asscientists and decision makers have come to realise that changes in climate are unavoidable. Since emissions reductions willnot abate all negative climate change impacts, mitigation has to be combined with a process of adapting to those impacts.In decision-making processes concerning adaptation to climate change, there is often a choice between differentstrategies and measures. The choice of adaptation measure or strategy can have implications for other goals. In thecontext of climate change adaptation this means that a goal conflict arises when a measure that is taken by an agent(e.g., a local authority, county administrative board or county council) in response to actual or expected climate changeor effect, obstructs the achievement of some other goal that the agent has set. These goal conflicts constitute a majorpolicy challenge for decision makers involved in adaptation.So far, research on adaptation has dealt a lot with needed adaptation measures, but rarely analysis of what kind ofconflicts those measures could impose on other goals. The measures may even fuel climate change themselves and,hence, accelerate the need for further adaptation. To ensure the coherence of adaptation measures with other policygoals, there is a need for tools to assess and predict outcomes, but also to balance those outcomes and trade themoff in situations where they are not easily reunited. As goal conflicts (and the nature of those conflicts) are identified,strategies and tools for managing them can be developed.The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the existence of goal conflicts in the adaptation process, to provide examplesof goal conflicts related to adaptation measures concerning physical planning, and to propose and discuss strategies fordealing with these conflicts. The basis for the paper is an inventory of potential goal conflicts in Sweden’s climate changeadaptation process. We use the adaptation process in Sweden as empirical basis, but we make the assumption that theresults are sufficiently general to apply to other countries with similar socio-economic structure and climate.The paper is focused on measures and goal conflicts concerning physical planning and decisions taken at the localscale, mainly the municipal level. A desk-based review of adaptation measures were carried out, and analysed withregards to potential goal conflicts in relation to environmental goals, goals concerning human health, recreational goals,and social justice goals. Goal conflicts were identified based on literature studies combined with interviews with relevantstaff from national and local authorities and field experts.The adaptation measures that were analysed within the area of physical planning, mainly concerned protection of thebuilt environment against flooding, landslide and increased temperatures and protection against human health risks inthe built environment. There are close connections between the identified adaptation measures. Many of the adaptation measures that are taken to protect buildings and developments from the negative impacts of climate change are alsoadequate responses when it comes to mitigating harm to human health.The paper shows that, goal conflicts in adaptation are common phenomena.Sometimes, adaptation conflicts with mitigation efforts, such as when air-conditioning and other mechanical coolingsystems used to reduce heat-related mortality also increase carbon dioxide emissions. At other times, adaptation conflictswith goals concerning the preservation of natural and cultural values, such as when ski establishments are relocated to meetsnow deficits, resulting in biodiversity loss and damage to landscape integrity. Often, adaptation conflicts with some goalswhile at the same time benefits others, which makes choices concerning adaptation complex and difficult to manage.Obviously, goal conflicts in adaptation to climate change can be managed through many different types of strategies.If actions to mitigate climate change are intensified, and are successful in halting climate change, fewer adaptationmeasures will presumably need to be taken, which reduces the risk of conflict between adaptation goals and other policygoals. Another strategy is to focus adaptation policy on reducing the vulnerability in social and ecological systems bymaking them more resilience towards the effects of climate change. With resilience built into the systems, systems aremore designed and planned to withstand changes without collapsing, and the need for adaptation measures could also decrease and thereby conflicts between interests or goals.Conflicts also arise between the local authorities’ goals and the national authorities’ goals. Hence, integrating adaptation policies and measures between different agencies and sectors is an important means of identifying and avoiding or limiting potential goal conflicts between proposed adaptation measures and other policy goals. Because of the diverseinterrelationships that exist between different policy sectors today, adaptation strategies need to be developed in anintegrated fashion to be effective and sustainable.Some strategies are conflict-reducing in the sense that they reduce the need for (further) adaptation and, consequently,the risk of creating conflicts between the goal of adaptation and other policy goals. Other strategies are conflictidentifying in the sense that they help to detect actual or potential goal conflicts in present or planned adaptation work.These strategies are central to the goal conflict resolution process, since a first step in managing a goal conflict consistsin being aware that the conflict exists. Conflict-directing strategies constitute a third type of strategies; they tell thedecision maker how to act in situations where a goal conflict is present or foreseen.An important conclusion is that, by pro-actively working with goal conflicts at an early stage in the decision-makingprocess, governmental decision makers can play an important role in promoting sustainable adaptation at local andregional levels. The goal conflicts that exist in the context of climate adaptation make it clear that successful adaptationpolicy cannot be defined in terms of effectiveness, i.e., how well an adaptation measure, strategy, or policy succeeds insolving the problem that it is intended to solve. Before an adaptation measure is decided upon, the decision maker must also consider how appropriate the measure is, given her other policy goals.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

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