Looking beyond the horizon when preparing for climate change in the energy transition

Climate change will alter the world as we know it, exacerbating already existing threats while also bringing new risks and unforeseen opportunities. The impacts of climate change will materialise differently in different corners of the world. More vulnerable areas in the southern hemisphere will bear the brunt of the adverse impacts, while affluent countries in the North are projected to experience less devastating impacts and be better able to cope. This way of thinking has lured many developed countries into a sense of false security, exacerbated by national climate assessments showing how the effects of climate change are likely to be important but relatively moderate, and well within the adaptive capacity of the country.