Climate security report: assessing business risk

Today, extreme climate events are becoming a daily reality for everyone.

Stark warnings from 11,000 scientists across 153 nations state that “urgent” change is required to offset the threat to natural ecosystems and humanity.

The threat that a volatile climate presents to our fragile planet is acute. But what’s become clear these past months, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, is that individual actions are more impactful than ever.

COVID-19 has illustrated how we are all bound together on a global scale. How economies and societies are interconnected. And, most importantly, revealed our united strength in facing global societal issues, at a local level.

The lessons that we can draw on in curbing the COVID-19 virus therefore must be applied to other critical, global issues. Perhaps none more significant than the changing climate.

Whether it’s flood damaged homes and offices or wildfires destroying rural and urban areas, climate volatility is hurting communities, individuals and organisations.

Despite the clear ongoing economic, social and political impact of the climate crisis being clear long before the coronavirus pandemic, the majority of businesses haven’t put plans or processes in place to tackle the risks climate presents to them.

As the pandemic has intensified and countries have invoked lockdown, many business leaders are rising to the immediate challenge of defeating COVID-19.

But to echo the words of UN experts on Earth Day, the world must “show the same determination and unity” against the accelerating problem of climate change as against coronavirus. The long term consequences of ignoring the climate crisis threatens to be far more severe than the expense of putting strategies in place now.

To understand why, in the face of clear and mounting evidence, climate security isn’t high on the board agenda—and how we can change that—we have spoken with over 500 business leaders and decision makers in the UK.

The key takeaway: most businesses are frozen by uncertainty and fearful of missteps, given the magnitude and complexity of the challenge. Ultimately, there’s a significant gap between awareness and taking action—fuelled by a lack of understanding.

The climate crisis is intensifying and risks are increasing everyday. COVID-19 demonstrates how the world has had to quickly adapt to social distancing and closing borders. To address the changing climate, everyone—particularly businesses—need to assess their individual risk and employ strategies that will help them play their part in ensuring the long-term resilience of our planet.

This study explores the obstacles preventing organisations from addressing climate volatility and identifies how climate security can help safeguard our future.

Download a full copy of the report in PDF Format by clicking here

For more information regarding Cervest’s Earth Science AI and platform please contact:

hello@cervest.earth