Investing in Resilience

The climate is changing, and society is facing significant climate impacts including more frequent and severe weather, ocean warming and acidification, extended periods of drought, and extreme temperatures. The ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to these impacts is known as “climate resilience.” Resilience efforts must be made at the local level, sometimes even at the level of individual structures or facilities. This requires an unprecedented combined and coordinated effort. Fortunately, addressing these risks will not only protect people and property, but also generate economic activity that will create domestic jobs and help with U.S. competitiveness globally. For all levels of government, the greatest challenge to becoming more resilient is making the investments needed in resilience planning, infrastructure upgrades, and other projects. This brief explores existing funding streams, the financial aspects of climate resilience, and discusses challenges and new options for valuing these important investments.