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Climate change adaptation across businesses in Australia: interpretations, implementations, and interactions

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  • Giuseppe Forino

    (University of East Anglia
    University of Newcastle)

  • Jason von Meding

    (Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER))

Abstract

Climate change and associated processes can increase the occurrence of some natural hazards and threaten business operations. Therefore, it is widely recommended businesses respond to climate change and implement climate change adaptation. Worldwide, businesses make efforts towards climate change adaptation, but investigation on such efforts is still required. To partially fill this research gap, the paper explores businesses adaptation efforts in the Hunter Valley, Australia. The paper collects primary data from open-ended interviews to 10 representatives of local businesses and supporting organizations. The paper reveals that businesses interpret climate change in different ways. While some businesses are sceptical about climate change, others are aware of it and its impacts on everyday operations. Businesses therefore implement adaptation by integrating climate change into everyday operations and continuity planning. The paper also shows diverse interactions occurring between businesses and other local stakeholders such as governments and communities. Usually, higher government levels offer vague and limited support to businesses and inhibit their adaptive efforts. Meanwhile, interactions between businesses and City Councils can be both collaborative and fragmented. Some businesses also interact with local communities by disclosing information about their operations and response to climate change. The paper discusses these findings and provides conclusions under the form of recommendations for policy and research on Australian businesses and climate change adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Forino & Jason von Meding, 2021. "Climate change adaptation across businesses in Australia: interpretations, implementations, and interactions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(12), pages 18540-18555, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:23:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1007_s10668-021-01468-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01468-z
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    2. Paul Hudson & Annegret H. Thieken, 2022. "The presence of moral hazard regarding flood insurance and German private businesses," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(2), pages 1295-1319, June.
    3. Bag, Surajit & Sabbir Rahman, Muhammad & Rogers, Helen & Srivastava, Gautam & Harm Christiaan Pretorius, Jan, 2023. "Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the garment industry supply chain network," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    4. Hossein Mikhak & Mehdi Rahimian & Saeed Gholamrezai, 2022. "Implications of changing cropping pattern to low water demand plants due to climate change: evidence from Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(8), pages 9833-9850, August.

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