IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/tcpoxx/v11y2011i4p1177-1183.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hard and soft paths for climate change adaptation

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin K. Sovacool

Abstract

Amory Lovins' distinction between 'soft' and 'hard' paths of energy technologies is applied, mutatis mutandis , to humanity's efforts to adapt to climate change. It is argued that hard adaptive measures involve capital-intensive, large, complex, inflexible technology and infrastructure, whereas soft adaptive measures prioritize natural capital, community control, simplicity and appropriateness. The prevalence of these two types of adaptation pathways is illustrated through two case studies from the Maldives: The Safer Island Development Program and the Integrating Climate Change Risks Program. Policymakers must be aware that hard and soft adaptation measures may trade off with each other, and give both paths due consideration.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2011. "Hard and soft paths for climate change adaptation," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 1177-1183, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tcpoxx:v:11:y:2011:i:4:p:1177-1183
    DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2011.579315
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14693062.2011.579315
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/14693062.2011.579315?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elinor Ostrom, 2014. "A Polycentric Approach For Coping With Climate Change," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(1), pages 97-134, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yi Yang & Beibei Liu & Peng Wang & Wei‐Qiang Chen & Timothy M. Smith, 2020. "Toward sustainable climate change adaptation," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(2), pages 318-330, April.
    2. Benjamin Sovacool, 2012. "Expert views of climate change adaptation in the Maldives," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 295-300, September.
    3. Mohamed Shumais & Ibrahim Mohamed, 2020. "What makes an environmental trust fund successful? A case study of the Maldives," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 327-344, July.
    4. Richmond, Noah & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2012. "Bolstering resilience in the coconut kingdom: Improving adaptive capacity to climate change in Vanuatu," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 843-848.
    5. James Ford & Diana King, 2015. "A framework for examining adaptation readiness," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 505-526, April.
    6. Archana Raghavan Sathyan & Christoph Funk & Thomas Aenis & Lutz Breuer, 2018. "Climate Vulnerability in Rainfed Farming: Analysis from Indian Watersheds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-27, September.
    7. Benjamin Sovacool, 2012. "Perceptions of climate change risks and resilient island planning in the Maldives," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 17(7), pages 731-752, October.
    8. Graham McDowell & Leila Harris & Michele Koppes & Martin F. Price & Kai M.A. Chan & Dhawa G. Lama, 2020. "From needs to actions: prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 953-972, November.
    9. Christopher A. Freimund & Gregg M. Garfin & Laura M. Norman & Larry A. Fisher & James L. Buizer, 2022. "Flood resilience in paired US–Mexico border cities: a study of binational risk perceptions," 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 1247-1271, June.
    10. H. M. Tuihedur Rahman & Kate Sherren & Danika van Proosdij, 2019. "Institutional Innovation for Nature-Based Coastal Adaptation: Lessons from Salt Marsh Restoration in Nova Scotia, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, November.
    11. André Nogueira & Weslynne Ashton & Carlos Teixeira & Elizabeth Lyon & Jonathan Pereira, 2020. "Infrastructuring the Circular Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-24, April.
    12. Meenakshi Shankar Poti & Jean Huge & Kartik Shanker & Nico Koedam & Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, 2022. "Learning from small islands in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO): A systematic review of responses to environmental change," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/346937, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Charles Roger & Thomas Hale & Liliana Andonova, 2017. "The Comparative Politics of Transnational Climate Governance," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 1-25, January.
    2. de Melo, Jaime & Vijil, Mariana, 2014. "Barriers to Trade in Environmental Goods and Environmental Services: How Important Are They? How Much Progress at Reducing Them?," Climate Change and Sustainable Development 172425, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    3. Stefano Carattini & Andrea Baranzini & Philippe Thalmann & Frédéric Varone & Frank Vöhringer, 2017. "Green Taxes in a Post-Paris World: Are Millions of Nays Inevitable?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(1), pages 97-128, September.
    4. Daniel Fitzpatrick & Rebecca Monson, 2022. "Property rights and climate migration: Adaptive governance in the South Pacific," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(2), pages 519-535, April.
    5. N. Jones & J. Clark, 2014. "Social capital and the public acceptability of climate change adaptation policies: a case study in Romney Marsh, UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 133-145, March.
    6. Volland, Benjamin, 2017. "The role of risk and trust attitudes in explaining residential energy demand: Evidence from the United Kingdom," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 14-30.
    7. Carattini, Stefano & Fankhauser, Sam & Gao, Jianjian & Gennaioli, Caterina & Panzarasa, Pietro, 2023. "What does network analysis teach us about international environmental cooperation?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    8. Sebastian Levi & Christian Flachsland & Michael Jakob, 2020. "Political Economy Determinants of Carbon Pricing," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(2), pages 128-156, May.
    9. Arif Rahman & Aneel Salman, 2013. "A District Level Climate Change Vulnerability Index of Pakistan," CEECC Working Paper 2013:05, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    10. Yildiz, Özgür, 2014. "Lehren aus der Verhaltensökonomik für die Gestaltung umweltpolitischer Maßnahmen [Lessons from behavioral economics for the design of environmental policy measures]," MPRA Paper 59360, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Martiskainen, Mari, 2020. "Hot transformations: Governing rapid and deep household heating transitions in China, Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    12. Wang, Derek D. & Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki, 2018. "Climate change mitigation targets set by global firms: Overview and implications for renewable energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 386-398.
    13. W. A. Brock & A. Xepapadeas, 2015. "Modeling Coupled Climate, Ecosystems, and Economic Systems," Working Papers 2015.66, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    14. Antoine Godin & Anda David & Oskar Lecuyer & Stéphanie Leyronas, 2022. "A strong sustainability approach to development trajectories," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 19(3), pages 381-396, December.
    15. Patrick Messerlin, 2010. "Climate change and trade policy: From mutual destruction to mutual support," Working Papers hal-00972994, HAL.
    16. Jayme Walenta, 2020. "Climate risk assessments and science‐based targets: A review of emerging private sector climate action tools," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(2), March.
    17. Sven Rudolph & Takeshi Kawakatsu & Toru Morotomi, 2016. "Fur eine foderale marktbasierte Klimapolitik:Lehren aus dem regionalen Emissionshandel in Nordamerika (Towards a market-based climate policy from the bottom up: Lessons from regional carbon markets in," Discussion papers d-16-001, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    18. Jaime de Melo & Nicole A. Mathys, 2012. "Concilier les politiques commerciales et les politiques climatiques," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 20(2), pages 57-81.
    19. Gregor Schwerhoff, 2013. "Leadership and International Climate Cooperation," Working Papers 2013.97, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    20. Lawrence H. Goulder & Robert N. Stavins, 2011. "Interactions between State and Federal Climate Change Policies," NBER Chapters, in: The Design and Implementation of US Climate Policy, pages 109-121, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:tcpoxx:v:11:y:2011:i:4:p:1177-1183. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/tcpo20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.