Integrating mitigation and adaptation

At present, research and policy relating to mitigation and adaptation are generally separate agendas, driven by different policy requirements and often handled by different agencies. Arguably, legally binding emissions reductions agreements have given more urgency to domestic mitigation agendas, which have, in part, eclipsed resource allocation for adaptation. The latter is often perceived as a longer-term agenda that can be partly assigned as a private rather than public responsibility. While this may be the case, there is nevertheless likely to be a public-good interest at stake when considering the outcome of private adaptation decision making in agriculture. At a minimum therefore the public role should be one of imparting relevant impact information as and when it becomes available and in seeking out the synergies in co-ordinated adaptation and mitigation planning.