Impacts from climate change on organizations: a conceptual foundation

Winn, Monika I.; Kirchgeorg, Manfred; Griffiths, Andrew; Linnenluecke, Martina K.; Günther, Elmar

doi:10.1002/bse.679

Cited by 239 publications

(294 citation statements)

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“…Perceptions of the risks, along with individual and collective capacities to respond to the challenges of climate change are topics of scientific and community debate (Whitmarsh and Lorenzoni 2010). Although effects and responses will differ from sector to sector, organizations represent important components of society and face new challenges and opportunities from climate change (Winn et al 2011, Berkhout 2012. Responses to climate change are typically grouped into two categories.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Forums and Multilevel Governance on the Climate Adaptation Practices of Australian Organizations

Bates

Green

Leonard

et al. 2013

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ABSTRACT. To date, there are few regulations and policies relating to climate change in Australia. Uncertainty about the timing, structure, and potential impact of proposed legislation such as a national carbon abatement scheme, is leading to planning delays across the country. To assist with these policy uncertainties, organizations can embed themselves in multilevel governance frameworks that inform, structure, and facilitate strategic development, planning, and action. As part of these networks, organizational representatives also engage in formal and informal forums, a type of interorganizational relationship, which can include industry task forces, policy development committees, interagency groups, and specific climate change committees. Forums constitute an additional level of governance that influences decision making.The patterns of relationships within these multilevel governance frameworks are examined in this paper, with a focus on the forum level of organizational cooperation. Specifically, we investigate the type of forums operating and their role in supporting organizational responses to climate change. A series of interviews and focus groups were conducted in two study areas, the Swan Canning region of Western Australia and the Hunter / Central Coast region of New South Wales. The results indicate that organizations participate in a diverse range of forums. Further, forums appear to play a key role in the everyday business of organizations by enhancing their ability to plan and address a range of issues, including those associated with climate change. In addition the research highlights some of the barriers and drivers for the development and implementation of climate adaptation practices that emerge from forum discussions. For example, a lack of government guidance in interpreting climate change policy was described as a barrier yet access to the knowledge and expertise of participants was highlighted as a potential driver. The paper discusses how an ability to create new forums and utilize existing nonclimate related forums assists organizations in addressing climate change impacts. We contend that forums constitute a level of governance deeply embedded in organizational practice that influences both their capacity and motivation to undertake climate adaptation. Our findings suggest that research investigating the rules that govern forums and the structural properties of the networks in which they are embedded is required to further understand the role of multilevel governance in shaping organizational responses to climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Forums and Multilevel Governance on the Climate Adaptation Practices of Australian Organizations

Bates

Green

Leonard

et al. 2013

E&S

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“…Most articles in the research field of "organizational adaptation to climate change" analyze private-sector adaptation strategies and measures with an almost exclusive focus on how businesses benefit from such undertakings. Accordingly, research questions focused on the allocation of responsibility for climate change adaptation in cases where adaptation is lacking, or on the effects of undertaking or ignoring adaptation measures on the rest of society, are implicitly excluded from the existing business management research on climate change adaptation (Sheffi 2005, Berkhout et al 2006, Winn et al 2010, Weinhofer and Busch 2012. By setting the research focus in such a way, the business management literature frames climate change adaptation as an exclusively private action with exclusively private beneficiaries, whereas mitigation is primarily framed as a public good characterized by joint consumption where it is infeasible to exclude consumers, given that every society in the world will benefit from reduced greenhouse gas emissions.…”

Section: Results Of Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responsibility for private sector adaptation to climate change

Schneider¹

2014

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ABSTRACT. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) indicates that vulnerable industries should adapt to the increasing likelihood of extreme weather events along with slowly shifting mean annual temperatures and precipitation patterns, to prevent major damages or periods of inoperability in the future. Most articles in the literature on business management frame organizational adaptation to climate change as a private action. This makes adaptation the sole responsibility of a company, for its sole benefit, and overlooks the fact that some companies provide critical goods and services such a food, water, electricity, and medical care, that are so vital to society that even a short-term setback in operations could put public security at risk. This raises the following questions: (1) Who is responsible for climate change adaptation by private-sector suppliers of critical infrastructure? (2) How can those who are identified to be responsible, actually be held to assume their responsibility for adapting to climate change? These questions will be addressed through a comprehensive review of the literature on business management, complemented by a review of specialized literature on public management. This review leads to several conclusions. Even though tasks that formerly belonged to the state have been taken over by private companies, the state still holds ultimate responsibility in the event of failure of private-sector owned utilities, insofar as they are "critical infrastructure." Therefore, it remains the state's responsibility to foster adaptation to climate change with appropriate action. In theory, effective ways of assuming this responsibility, while enabling critical infrastructure providers the flexibility adapt to climate change, would be to delegate adaptation to an agency, or to conduct negotiations with stakeholders. In view of this theory, Germany will be used as a case study to demonstrate how private-sector critical infrastructure providers can plan and implement climate change adaptation in practice, through the regulatory modes of "negotiations" and "enforced self-regulation."

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“…And if climate issues are dealt within a distinct business response, the lines between adaptation to and mitigation of climate change seem to blur (Linnenluecke et al, 2013). Regarding economic impacts, the challenge within risk management in businesses is quantifying uncertainty, which in the case of changing climate is inherently complex (Winn et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk management perspective for climate service development – Results from a study on Finnish organizations

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Weather, climate and climate change can cause significant risks to businesses and public administration. However, understanding these processes can also create opportunities. Information can help to manage these risks and opportunities, but in order to do so, it must be in line with how risk management and decision making works. To better understand how climate risks and opportunities are reflected in different organizational processes and what types of information is needed and used, we conducted a study on the perceptions and management of weather and climate risks in Finnish organizations and on their use of weather and climate information. In addition, we collected feedback on how the existing climate information tools should be developed.Data on climate risk management was collected in an online survey and in one full-day workshop. The survey was aimed to the Finnish public and private organizations who use weather and climate data and altogether 118 responses were collected. The workshop consisted of two parts: weather and climate risk management processes in general and the development of the current information tools to further address user needs.We found that climate risk management in organizations is quite diverse and often de-centralized and that external experts are considered the most useful sources of information. Consequently, users emphasize the need for networks of expertise and sector-specific information tools. Creating such services requires input and information sharing from the user side as well. Better temporal and spatial accuracy is naturally asked for, but users also stressed the need for transparency when it comes to communicating uncertainties, and the availability and up-to-datedness of information.Our results illustrate that weather and climate risks compete and blend in with other risks and changes perceived by the organizations and supporting information is sought from different types of sources. Thus the design and evaluation of climate services should take into account the context of existing and developing processes in organizational risk management.

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Impacts from climate change on organizations: a conceptual foundation

Cited by 239 publications

References 100 publications

The Influence of Forums and Multilevel Governance on the Climate Adaptation Practices of Australian Organizations

The Influence of Forums and Multilevel Governance on the Climate Adaptation Practices of Australian Organizations

Responsibility for private sector adaptation to climate change

Risk management perspective for climate service development – Results from a study on Finnish organizations

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