WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 17, 2024) — Conservation organizations and natural resource agencies will need to embrace new and more innovative approaches to protecting species and ecosystems in the face of the rapidly unfolding climate crisis. That finding is included in the newly released guide, “Innovation in Climate Adaptation: Harnessing the Power of Innovation for Effective Biodiversity and Ecosystem Adaptation.” To meet the growing challenges a rapidly warming world poses to both wildlife and people, institutions will need to center climate adaptation in their policies and practices, and adopt more innovative and transformational conservation and adaptation approaches.

“Biodiversity, ecosystem services, and entire societies are increasingly threatened by climate extremes, novel environmental and ecological realizations, catastrophic events, and complex and poorly understood interactions. Although existing conservation practices, developed and refined over decades, centuries, and even millennia, remain necessary for addressing climate-change impacts, they are insufficient to meet rapidly emerging novel challenges,” according to the guide. “Many conventional approaches will become obsolete or require modification as climate change continues. As a result, successfully adapting to climate change will require rapid development and application of innovative practices, approaches, and policies.”

Produced by The National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey Climate Adaptation Science Center Network and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Climate Change Specialist Group, the guide was written by an international team of experts, and draws on lessons and examples of innovation from other sectors, including business and technology.

“Climate change and the ecological shifts and unnatural disasters it fuels are rapidly altering the natural world — and at a much faster pace than anticipated just a few years ago. This landmark guide underscores not only the growing climate challenges facing the conservation community, but also the opportunity — and indeed imperative — to be more creative in crafting approaches for effective biodiversity conservations and climate adaptation,” said Bruce Stein, the report’s lead author and chief scientist emeritus at the National Wildlife Federation. “This roadmap cannot enact itself. Adapting to climate change at a scope and scale sufficient to avert catastrophic biodiversity losses will require that conservationists adopt an innovation mindset and institutions establish an innovation culture.”

"The growing conservation challenges posed by climate change necessitate creativity and a willingness for institutions to be nimble and take risks. This report is a first-of-its-kind guide for scientists and decision makers to embrace a culture of innovation surrounding climate change adaptation," said Molly Cross, Regional Administrator for the USGS North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and report co-author. "The USGS provides actionable science to help resource managers and communities design and evaluate innovative approaches so they can help ecosystems and people adequately meet the challenges of a changing climate."

“Climate change is taking conservation into new and unfamiliar territory, where conventional practices may no longer be effective. Innovative approaches need to be conceived, tested, and applied at scale,” said Wendy Foden, co-author of the report and chair of the IUCN SSC Climate Change Specialist Group. “I encourage members of IUCN and the broader conservation community to review the report. It offers valuable insights that I believe will benefit all stakeholders involved.”