Advancing Business Leadership on Climate Resilience

C2ES supports action by major companies to assess climate risks and implement climate risk mitigation and resilience actions outlined in corporate plans and disclosures. Our approach focuses on elevating corporate leadership and the important role the private sector can play in building a climate-resilient future.

How Climate Change Impacts Business-as-usual

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather and chronic climate impacts impose significant risks to ecosystems, communities, and companies around the globe. Extreme weather causes property damage, disrupts business operations, and affects global supply and value chains across the economy.

Companies have always navigated a changing business environment, but now they must contend with a rapidly changing physical environment. Physical change impacts businesses’ facilities and operations, supply and value chains, electricity and water supplies, the communities in which they operate, and their employees and customers. Additionally, regulatory and voluntary reporting regimes are responding to these risks by establishing requirements and early paths for companies to disclose these risks.

Strengthening Resilience to Physical Climate Risks

To succeed in a climate-impacted future, every business must enhance its resilience to these physical climate impacts. Sectors reliant on natural resources and ecosystems, such as agriculture or tourism, are particularly vulnerable to changing climate conditions, and those providing critical services, such as electricity and healthcare companies, play a significant role in contributing to societal resilience.

In addition to reducing risks presented by climate impacts, companies are expected to adjust for market opportunities created by changing societal needs. One way companies can do this is by providing solutions to consumers and other businesses for planning and adapting in various ways.

Many companies already recognize their climate risks and are taking steps to make their businesses more resilient. These steps range from preparing their operations and supply chains to reduce vulnerabilities to seeking out community-based partnerships and supporting local solutions.

As companies integrate climate impacts into their corporate strategies and emerging regulations require more transparent disclosure of risks and activities, leading companies will gain a competitive edge over those that do not take action.

It is our position that climate resilience is a key factor to ensuring a company’s success and health.

How C2ES Advances Business Leadership

C2ES supports action by major companies to assess and mitigate their climate risks and implement climate adaptation and resilience actions. Our resources help companies understand the landscape of risk assessment, emerging practices for corporate plans and disclosures, and resilience strategies. Our approach focuses on elevating corporate leadership and the important role that the private sector can play in building a climate-resilient future.

Featured C2ES Work

An Emerging Blueprint for Companies to Advance Local Climate Resilience

Learn more about how companies are currently working with the communities in which they operate to advance climate resilience here.

Emerging Practices in TCFD-aligned Climate Risk and Opportunity Analysis and Disclosure

Read the brief in which we analyze business practices under four focal areas: how are companies measuring, assessing, managing, and disclosing climate-related risks and opportunities?

Physical Risk Toolkit

This toolkit is intended to assist companies in understanding what types of data and information providers are available in undertaking physical climate risk assessment.

Learn more here.