Since the 2015 United Nations (UN) Paris Agreement, there has been one main goal of reversing climate change. But, according to experts from University of California San Diego (UCSD), this goal will likely not be achieved with any solutions that are currently in use.

This primary goal from the UN was signed by 195 signed parties. This agreement aimed to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than preindustrial levels by 2100. However, as of summer 2023, Reuters reported that global temperatures had already surpassed preindustrial levels by 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Nature Journal communicated that this number will reach 2 degrees Celsius in the 2030s at the latest. Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2023 the hottest year ever.

To David Victor and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, this data has shown that many current solutions are not solving the climate crisis. Victor and Ramanathan are both professors at UCSD and experts on the correlation between climate change and public policy. To combat the increasing environmental issues, they have proposed a unique approach: a national adaptation strategy.

Victor and Ramanathan believe that the detrimental effects of climate change can be mitigated by an adaptation strategy for each country. By forming plans to adjust to changing conditions, nations can develop specific policies to approach and recover from environmental issues. This strategy would create new infrastructure along with crisis warning systems that alert citizens earlier. Furthermore, the Los Angeles Times explained that this strategy would educate the public about the extent of climate change and its impact on their daily lives. This education would emphasize the importance of reversing global warming and preparing for climate-related incidents.

Victor and Ramanathan highlighted the need for cooperation in an adaptation strategy while writing an opinion story in the Los Angeles Times.

“Adaptation to the consequences of global warming doesn’t come just from singular activities, like flipping a switch; it’s processes that will affect all of society and can easily go awry. Every locality needs to learn from ideas that get tested around the country and world. That’s why we need a national approach that assesses how local efforts fit together,” Victor and Ramanathan said.