Integrating climate change adaptation in energy planning and decision-making - Key challenges and opportunities

Energy systems are significantly vulnerable to current climate variability and extreme events. As climate change becomes more pronounced, the risks and vulnerabilities will be exacerbated. To date, energy sector adaptation issues have received very limited attention. In this paper, a climate risk management framework is used as the basis for identifying key challenges and opportunities to enhance the integration of climate change adaptation in energy planning and decision-making. Given its importance for raising awareness and for stimulating action by planners and decision-makers, emphasis is placed on reviewing the current knowledge on risks and vulnerabilities of energy systems and on potential adaptation options. The paper finds that short and longer term action on climate risk management of energy systems strongly depends on: Strengthening the capacity to model and project climate change and its impacts at local and regional scales; improving the geographical coverage of risk, vulnerability and adaptation assessments, and the availability of systematic and integrated assessments; and, providing information and guidance in a form appropriate for planners and decision makers. Another important area concerns establishing improved understanding of potential trade-offs and synergies between energy system adaptation and mitigation options, and adaptation and development prospects in other sectors or areas. Finally, improved knowledge on damage costs, and adaptation costs and benefits is likely to remove barriers to integration of climate risks and adaptive responses in energy planning and decision making. Both detailed assessments of the costs and benefits of integrating adaptation measures and rougher ‘order of magnitude’ estimates would enhance awareness raising and momentum for action.