Towards a concept of transformational adaptation

The concept of “transformational adaptation” has increasingly entered global discussions around climate change adaptation

Adaptation to climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, especially for climate-vulnerable developing countries such as Sri Lanka. By adjusting to actual or expected climate change, economies, businesses, and households can reduce negative impacts and take advantage of emerging opportunities, contributing to an overall more resilient and climate-adapted world.

However, as climate change accelerates, there are concerns that incremental adaptation measures may no longer be sufficient. As a reaction, the concept of “transformational adaptation” has increasingly entered discussions around climate change adaptation in academic circles as well as in the global climate negotiations. But is there a common understanding of this concept and its implications?

What is transformational adaptation?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), transformational adaptation “changes the fundamental attributes of a social-ecological system in anticipation of climate change and its impacts.” In opposition to incremental adaptation, it is often seen as going beyond short-term measures and reactive approaches to focus on deeper and more long-term changes that aim to overhaul entire sectors or industries. Rather than merely adjusting existing practices, transformational adaptation calls for systemic shifts in how societies perceive risks, manage resources, and pursue sustainable development in a rapidly changing climate.

Traditional “incremental” adaptation actions included, for example, enhancements to irrigation systems, resistant crop varieties, more resilient infrastructure, or investment into early warning systems. However, with rising global temperatures and increasingly intense and frequent climate change impacts, such measures could run into soft or hard limits of adaptation. In this context, hard limits are those where incremental adaptative actions are no longer able to avoid intolerable risks, while soft limits are those where such options still exist, but are currently not available due to constraints in finance, capacities, technology, etc.

Transformational adaptation, by contrast, calls for a wider change in adaptation pathways that deviate from existing systems to maintain resilience even in the face of more radical climatic changes. Considerations around addressing underlying inequities and systemic barriers are a key part of this concept, not only to safeguard vulnerable populations but also to support long-term sustainable development.

How does it connect to the Global Goal on Adaptation?

The Paris Agreement has established a Global Goal on Adaptation, which is currently being fleshed out and concretised through a global negotiation process. At the end of 2023, Parties to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement created the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience to frame this Global Goal setting eleven targets (for example, on food and water security, human health, natural ecosystems, or cultural heritage) that should be achieved for successful adaptation and resilience-building across the globe.

The Framework explicitly references to both “long-term transformational and incremental adaptation” and aims to examine “how transformational adaptation is defined and understood at different spatial scales and sectors.” A resulting technical paper completed in late 2024 offers a definition of transformational adaptation as changes that reflect something new, novel, and different; challenge the soft limits of adaptation; encompass large-scale and system-wide changes; entail sudden shifts in views, perceptions, attitudes, and norms; are robust, resilient, and lasting; and are aligned with key goals and processes.

While this definition provides an outline of the concept, it is yet to be seen how it will connect to either the negotiation process—for example, through its inclusion in an upcoming decision at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2025 in Brazil—or actions on the ground. Transitioning to transformational adaptation is also likely to be resource-intensive, necessitating substantial investments and supportive institutional frameworks for its effective implementation. Innovative financing mechanisms, such as green bonds or blended finance, have been identified as potential enablers for scaling up transformational projects.

Another major challenges in advancing transformational adaptation is the development of robust metrics to assess progress. Unlike incremental adaptation measures, whose impacts can be easier to quantify, transformational change involves long-term and wide-ranging shifts in social dynamics, understandings, and worldviews. Current efforts by the IPCC and other international bodies have proposed innovative indicators—ranging from changes in participation in decision-making processes to the extent of policy integration across sectors—that could serve as proxies for measuring transformation. Institutional innovation could be another indicator of transformational change, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and inclusive multi-actor partnerships to break down silos and enable coordinated action across diverse sectors.

What are key challenges and opportunities?

Transformational adaptation promises a paradigm shift in our response to climate change. By embracing systemic change, integrating diverse knowledge systems, and reorienting financial and institutional frameworks, it could potentially contribute to building a future that is not only resilient to climate impacts but also fundamentally more just and sustainable.

However, significant challenges remain. The scale and speed of change required often conflict with existing systems and constraints, especially related to available finance, technology, capacities, or data. Furthermore, transformational adaptation is a concept that is currently not well understood and lacks a commonly accepted definition as well as a toolset of good practices. At the same time, there are many incremental adaptation measures with proven impact that require resources for scaling up or replicating their implementation. While exploring transformational adaptation is important, it should not lead to a neglect of other forms of adaptation, and work towards a holistic and balanced understanding of the spectrum of adaptation actions across different levels and time periods.

(The writer works as Director: Research & Knowledge Management at SLYCAN Trust, a non-profit think tank. His work focuses on climate change, adaptation, resilience, ecosystem conservation, just transition, human mobility, and a range of related issues. He holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Cologne, Germany and is a regular contributor to several international and local media outlets.)