Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Climate change adaptation across businesses in Australia: interpretations, implementations, and interactions

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate change and associated processes can increase the occurrence of some natural hazards and threaten business operations. Therefore, it is widely recommended businesses respond to climate change and implement climate change adaptation. Worldwide, businesses make efforts towards climate change adaptation, but investigation on such efforts is still required. To partially fill this research gap, the paper explores businesses adaptation efforts in the Hunter Valley, Australia. The paper collects primary data from open-ended interviews to 10 representatives of local businesses and supporting organizations. The paper reveals that businesses interpret climate change in different ways. While some businesses are sceptical about climate change, others are aware of it and its impacts on everyday operations. Businesses therefore implement adaptation by integrating climate change into everyday operations and continuity planning. The paper also shows diverse interactions occurring between businesses and other local stakeholders such as governments and communities. Usually, higher government levels offer vague and limited support to businesses and inhibit their adaptive efforts. Meanwhile, interactions between businesses and City Councils can be both collaborative and fragmented. Some businesses also interact with local communities by disclosing information about their operations and response to climate change. The paper discusses these findings and provides conclusions under the form of recommendations for policy and research on Australian businesses and climate change adaptation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. https://unfccc.int/topics/resilience/resources/adaptation-private-sector (Access: 25 January 2021).

  2. https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FINAL-2018-TCFD-Status-Report-092518.pdf (Access: 25 January 2021).

  3. https://www.climate-change-performance-index.org/country/australia (Access: 25 January 2021).

  4. https://www.coastadapt.com.au/ (Access: 29th December 2020).

References

  • Australian Government (2005), “Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability. Promoting an efficient adaptation response in Australia, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Greenhouse Office”, http://www.sfrpc.com/Climate%20Change/4.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Agrawala, S., Carraro, M., Kingsmill, N., Lanzi, E., Mullan, M., and Prudent-Richard, G. (2011), “Private sector engagement in adaptation to climate change: approaches to managing climate risks”, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/private-sector-engagement-in-adaptation-to-climate-change-approaches-to-managing-climate-risks_5kg221jkf1g7-en (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Aldum, N., Duggie, J., & Robson, B. J. (2014). Climate change adaptation support tools in Australia. Regional environmental change, 14(1), 401–411

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019) 2016 Census QuickStats, https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/2016%20QuickStats (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Australian Government (2015), “National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy”, http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/3b44e21e-2a78-4809-87c7-a1386e350c29/files/national-climate-resilience-and-adaptation-strategy.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Bates, L. E., Green, M., Leonard, R., & Walker, I. (2013). The influence of forums and multilevel governance on the climate adaptation practices of Australian organizations. Ecology and Society, 18(4), 62

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtsson, B., & Hertting, N. (2014). Generalization by mechanism: Thin rationality and ideal-type analysis in case study research. Philosophy of the social sciences, 44(6), 707–732

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowden, V. (2018). Life. Brought to you by’… coal? business responses to climate change in the hunter valley, NSW, Australia. Environmental Sociology, 4(2), 275–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowden, V., Nyberg, D., & Wright, C. (2019). Planning for the past: Local temporality and the construction of denial in climate change adaptation. Global Environmental Change, 57, 101939

    Google Scholar 

  • Canevari-Luzardo, L. (2019). Climate change adaptation in the private sector: Application of a relational view of the firm. Climate and Development, 12(3), 216–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Canevari-Luzardo, L. M., Berkhout, F., & Pelling, M. (2020). A relational view of climate adaptation in the private sector: How do value chain interactions shape business perceptions of climate risk and adaptive behaviours? Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(2), 432–444

    Google Scholar 

  • Connor, L. H., & Higginbotham, N. (2013). “Natural cycles” in lay understandings of climate change. Global environmental change, 23(6), 1852–1861

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowley, K. (2017). Up and down with climate politics 2013–2016: The repeal of carbon pricing in Australia. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 8(3), e458

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham M., Van Uffelen L., Chambers M., (2019). The Changing Global Market for Australian Coal. Bulletin Bank of Australia, Sept, 28–39.

  • Department of Primary Industries (2013), Upper Hunter Region Agricultural Profile, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/471024/Upper-hunter-region-agricultural-profile.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • DiBella, J. (2020). The spatial representation of business models for climate adaptation: An approach for business model innovation and adaptation strategies in the private sector. Business Strategy & Development, 3(2), 245–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Elo, S., & Kyngäs, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of advanced nursing, 62(1), 107–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksen, S., Schipper, E. L. F., Scoville-Simonds, M., Vincent, K., Adam, H. N., Brooks, N., & West, J. J. (2021). Adaptation interventions and their effect on vulnerability in developing countries: Help, hindrance or irrelevance? World Development, 141, 105383

    Google Scholar 

  • Fallon, D. S., & Sullivan, C. A. (2014). Are we there yet? NSW local governments’ progress on climate change. Australian Geographer, 45(2), 221–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative inquiry, 12(2), 219–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Forino, G., Von Meding, J., & Brewer, G. J. (2018). Challenges and opportunities for Australian local governments in governing climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction integration. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 9(3), 258–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Forino, G., von Meding, J., & Brewer, G. (2019). Community based initiatives to mainstream climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction: Evidence from the Hunter Valley (Australia). Local Environment, 24(1), 52–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Forino, G., von Meding, J., Brewer, G., & van Niekerk, D. (2017). Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction integration: strategies, policies, and plans in three Australian local governments. International journal of disaster risk reduction, 24, 100–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, A., Turner, W. R., Gladstone, J., & Hole, D. G. (2019). The private sector’s climate change risk and adaptation blind spots. Nature Climate Change, 9(1), 18–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, C. (2001). Running from the storm: the development of climate change policy in Australia. UNSW Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Head, B. W. (2014). Evidence, uncertainty, and wicked problems in climate change decision making in Australia. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 32(4), 663–679

    Google Scholar 

  • Higginbotham, N., Connor, L. H., & Baker, F. (2014). Subregional differences in Australian climate risk perceptions: coastal versus agricultural areas of the Hunter Valley. NSW, Regional environmental change, 14(2), 699–712

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurlimann, A. C., Browne, G. R., Warren-Myers, G., & Francis, V. (2018). Barriers to climate change adaptation in the Australian construction industry–Impetus for regulatory reform. Building and Environment, 137, 235–245

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2018), Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, T. Waterfield (eds.)]. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Jehmlich, C., Hudson, P., & Thieken, A. H. (2020). Short contribution on adaptive behaviour of flood-prone companies: A pilot study of Dresden-Laubegast. Germany. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 13(4), e12653

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, J. E., Yoon, D. K., & Rhee, J. (2017). Factors contributing to business actions in response to climate change in Korea. Journal of Risk Research, 20(3), 385–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, J., & Juhola, S. (2018). The influence of administrative traditions and governance on private involvement in urban climate change adaptation. Review of Policy Research, 35(6), 930–952

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, J., Juhola, S., & Landauer, M. (2017). Local authorities and the engagement of private actors in climate change adaptation. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 35(6), 1055–1074

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumarasiri, J., & Gunasekarage, A. (2017). Risk regulation, community pressure and the use of management accounting in managing climate change risk: Australian evidence. The British Accounting Review, 49(1), 25–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuruppu, N., Mukheibir, P., & Murta, J. (2015). Ensuring small business continuity under a changing climate: the role of adaptive capacity. In J. P. Palutikof, S. L. Boulter, J. Barnett, & D. Rissik (Eds.), Applied Studies in Climate Adaptation. (pp. 429–436). Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuruppu, N., Murta, J., Mukheibir, P., Chong, J., and Brennan, T. (2013), “Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability”, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, https://www.nccarf.edu.au/sites/default/files/attached_files_publications/Kuruppu_2013_Understanding_the_adaptive_capacity_of_SMEs.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Linnenluecke, M. K., Griffiths, A., & Winn, M. I. (2013). Firm and industry adaptation to climate change: A review of climate adaptation studies in the business and management field. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 4(5), 397–416

    Google Scholar 

  • March, R., & Wilkinson, I. (2009). Conceptual tools for evaluating tourism partnerships. Tourism management, 30(3), 455–462

    Google Scholar 

  • Mavrodieva, A. V., & Shaw, R. (2019). Enabling private sector engagement in disaster resilience in South and East Asia. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 10(4), 466–483

    Google Scholar 

  • McKnight, B., & Linnenluecke, M. K. (2019). Patterns of firm responses to different types of natural disasters. Business & Society, 58(4), 813–840

    Google Scholar 

  • McNicol, I. (2020). Increasing the adaptation pathways capacity of land use planning-insights from New South Wales, Australia. Urban Policy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2020.1788530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merzian, R., Quicke, A., Bennett, E., Campbell, R., & Swann, T. (2019). Climate of the Nation 2019. Tracking Australia’s attitudes towards climate change and energy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, K., Neesham, C., Coghill, K., & Stubbs, W. (2020). A multilevel analysis of climate change inaction: Case study of an Australian electricity company. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 27(2), 173–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Nalau, J., Preston, B. L., & Maloney, M. C. (2015). Is adaptation a local responsibility? Environmental Science & Policy, 48, 89–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Nalau, J., Torabi, E., Edwards, N., Howes, M., & Morgan, E. (2021). A critical exploration of adaptation heuristics. Climate Risk Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2021.100292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naumann, D., 2015, Recovery Coordinators Summary Report. East Coast Storm and Flood – April 2015.

  • ndevr environmental (2019). Tracking 2 degrees report. https://ndevrenvironmental.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FY-2019-Q3-vA.0.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Neise, T., Revilla Diez, J., & Garschagen, M. (2018). Firms as drivers of integrative adaptive regional development in the context of environmental hazards in developing countries and emerging economies–A conceptual framework. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 36(8), 1522–1541

    Google Scholar 

  • NSW Government (2019). Live&Work in New South Wales. Newcastle, https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/live-and-work-in-nsw/working-in-nsw/places-to-live-and-work/newcastle (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • O’Brien, K., Eriksen, S., Nygaard, L. P., & Schjolden, A. N. E. (2007). Why different interpretations of vulnerability matter in climate change discourses. Climate policy, 7(1), 73–88

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell, T. (2019). Contrasting land use policies for climate change adaptation: A case study of political and geo-legal realities for Australian coastal locations. Land Use Policy, 88, 104145

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, T. D., Rodríguez, E. H., Fawcett, D., & Ford, J. D. (2018). How is Australia adapting to climate change based on a systematic review? Sustainability, 10(9), 3280

    Google Scholar 

  • Rissik, D., and Smith, M.K. (2015), “Investing through an Adaptation Lens. A Practical Guide for Investors”, NCCARF, https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IGCC_Adaptation_Guidance_web_Full_FINAL.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Robb, A., Payne, M., Stocker, L., Middle, G., & Trosic, A. (2019). Development control and vulnerable coastal lands: Examples Of Australian practice. Urban Policy and Research, 37(2), 199–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, K., Dowell, A., & Nie, J. B. (2019). Attempting rigour and replicability in thematic analysis of qualitative research data; a case study of codebook development. BMC medical research methodology, 19(1), 66

    Google Scholar 

  • Rühlemann, A., & Jordan, J. C. (2021). Risk perception and culture: Implications for vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. Disasters, 45(2), 424–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarmiento, J. P., Hoberman, G., Ilcheva, M., Asgary, A., Majano, A. M., Poggione, S., & Duran, L. R. (2015). Private sector and disaster risk reduction: The cases of Bogota, Miami, Kingston, San Jose, Santiago, and Vancouver. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 14, 225–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaer, C., & Kuruppu, N. (Eds.). (2018). Private-sector action in adaptation: Perspectives on the role of micro, small and medium size enterprises. UNEP DTU Partnership.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, T. (2014). Responsibility for private sector adaptation to climate change. Ecology and Society. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-06282-190208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweinsberg, S., & McManus, P. (2020). Coal seam gas: A space-based perspective. Geographical Research, 58(1), 24–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiue, I., & Matzarakis, A. (2011). Estimation of the tourism climate in the Hunter Region, Australia, in the early twenty-first century. International journal of biometeorology, 55(4), 565–574

    Google Scholar 

  • Smit, B., & Pilifosova, O. (2003). Adaptation to climate change in the context of sustainable development and equity. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/wg2TARchap18.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Stevenson, J. D., & Seville, E. (2017). Private sector doing disaster disk reduction including climate change adaptation. In I. Kelman, J. Mercer, & J. C. Gaillard (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Disaster Risk Reduction Including Climate Change Adaptation. (pp. 363–372). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surminski, S. (2013). Private-sector adaptation to climate risk. Nature Climate Change, 3(11), 943–945

    Google Scholar 

  • Surminski, S., Di Mauro, M., Baglee, J. A. R., Connell, R. K., Hankinson, J., Haworth, A. R., Ingirige, B., & Proverbs, D. (2018). Assessing climate risks across different business sectors and industries: An investigation of methodological challenges at national scale for the UK. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences., 276(2121), 20170307

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesch, R. (1987). Emerging themes: The researcher’s experience. Phenomenology+ pedagogy, 230–241.

  • Turner, D. W., III. (2010). Qualitative interview design: A practical guide for novice investigators. The qualitative report, 15(3), 754–760

    Google Scholar 

  • Verdon-Kidd, D. C., Kiem, A. S., & Willgoose, G. R. (2016). East coast lows and the pasha bulker storm—lessons learned nine years on. Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth System Science, 66(2), 152–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, E., Barnett, J., & Puleston, A. (2014). Contrasting perspectives on barriers to adaptation in Australian climate change policy. Climatic change, 124(4), 691–702

    Google Scholar 

  • West, J. (2015). Investing in adaptive capacity: opportunities, risks and firm behaviour. In J. P. Palutikof, S. L. Boulter, J. Barnett, & D. Rissik (Eds.), Applied Studies in Climate Adaptation. (pp. 437–444). Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, J.M. and Brereton, D.J. (2013), “Climate change adaptation in industry and business: A framework for best practice in financial risk assessment, governance and disclosure”, Gold Coast, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, available at: https://www.nccarf.edu.au/sites/default/files/attached_files_publications/West_2013_Climate_change_adaptation_industry_and_business.pdf (accessed 25 January 2021).

  • Wright, C., & Nyberg, D. (2014). Creative self-destruction: corporate responses to climate change as political myths. Environmental Politics, 23(2), 205–223

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Authors would like to thank research participants for their time and availability, and the reviewers for their comments that contributed to improve the quality of the paper. Giuseppe Forino received financial support from a PhD scholarship by the University of Newcastle.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Giuseppe Forino

  2. School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle, University Dr, Callaghan, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia

    Giuseppe Forino

  3. M.E Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), 1480 Inner Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, US

    Jason von Meding

Authors
  1. Giuseppe Forino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jason von Meding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giuseppe Forino.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Forino, G., von Meding, J. Climate change adaptation across businesses in Australia: interpretations, implementations, and interactions. Environ Dev Sustain 23, 18540–18555 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01468-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01468-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation