Day 4 of the Planetary Science Pavilion turned the spotlight on transformative adaptation, exploring how societies can navigate escalating climate impacts while pursuing equitable, science-based change. Throughout a packed day of discussions – from food systems and coastal resilience to water security and the global carbon budget – speakers underscored that adapting to a warming world requires systemic shifts. The throughline was clear: effective adaptation must be ambitious and inclusive, integrating the latest evidence with innovative governance and finance to safeguard both people and planet.

The morning began by focusing on food systems as a lever for climate action. In a session launching the EAT-Lancet Commission 2025, co-chair Johan Rockström and Emma Modéer Wiking (Business Sweden) joined forces to examine how healthier diets and sustainable agriculture can drive climate resilience. Moderated by Elizabeth Yee of the Rockefeller Foundation, the conversation highlighted the need to align food, climate, and health goals. Rockström presented new findings on sustainable diets, noting that shifting what we eat – away from deforestation-intensive commodities and toward regenerative production – can cut emissions while improving public health. The panel urged bold leadership from businesses and policymakers to transform food supply chains, incorporate Indigenous knowledge, and protect ecosystems like the Amazon. Their message was hopeful: feeding the world sustainably is possible and is critical for staying on track with the 1.5 °C climate target.

Later in the morning, attention turned to the climate threats already unfolding along our coasts and oceans. “Adaptation Across Scales and Sectors: The Case for Coastal and Ocean Adaptation” brought together experts from a low-lying island nation, a megacity, and the ocean science community to tackle sea-level rise and extreme marine events. Tuvalu’s representative to the UN Least Developed Countries group described how updated national adaptation plans are integrating ocean risks – from saltwater intrusion to coral reef loss – to protect vulnerable communities. From Argentina, a provincial environment director shared lessons on safeguarding coastal cities like Buenos Aires through nature-based solutions and better land-use planning. Scientists like Dr. Louis Celliers (GERICS) and Prof. Alex Turra (GeoBlue Planet) demonstrated new tools – including climate services, Earth observation data, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science – that can inform smarter adaptation policies. A clear consensus emerged: coastal resilience must be woven into national plans, supported by science at every level. By linking local actions (like restoring mangroves or elevating infrastructure) with global frameworks and data, countries can strengthen their defenses against the rising seas and storms of a changing climate.

After midday, the Pavilion shifted to a deep dive on resilience science – distilling the hard-won lessons of global change research into practical guidance for decision-makers. In an interactive session, researchers unveiled “Resilience Science Must-Knows”, a new report synthesizing decades of study on how systems withstand and evolve through shocks. Albert Norström (Stockholm Resilience Centre) and colleagues explained that resilience is not a mere buzzword but a fundamental requirement in the Anthropocene. They debunked common myths: for instance, building resilience is not just about “bouncing back” after disasters. True resilience, the speakers emphasized, means coping with immediate shocks, adapting over time, and even transforming systems when conditions become untenable. Examples ranged from communities reorganizing after climate extremes to economies shifting away from fossil fuels – in each case, the capacity to change is as important as the capacity to persist. The panel, which included voices from Future Earth and the Global Resilience Partnership, also warned that not all resilience is positive. There are entrenched systems (like fossil fuel dependence or inequitable policies) that are highly “resilient” in a detrimental way. Breaking the resilience of those harmful structures is often a prerequisite to building desirable resilience in our societies and ecosystems. The session’s takeaway was empowering: by nurturing diversity, inclusivity, and learning at all levels, we can strengthen our ability to absorb disturbances and steer toward a more resilient, just future despite the risks ahead.

The discussions then tackled one of the biggest questions of climate policy: how to bridge the gap between cutting emissions and adapting to impacts. A high-level panel on integrating climate mitigation and adaptation argued that these agendas must advance in tandem if we are to solve a crisis that is both urgent and multifaceted. Economist Mariana Mazzucato joined environmental leaders like Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias and Arunabha Ghosh in calling for an end to siloed thinking. They noted that too often, mitigation (reducing carbon emissions) and adaptation (reducing climate vulnerability) compete for attention and resources, when in reality they can reinforce each other. The speakers highlighted win-win opportunities – for example, protecting and restoring forests has the dual benefit of sequestering carbon and shielding communities from floods and heat. Likewise, investing in clean energy access can curb emissions while strengthening energy security for climate-stressed regions. The panel also discussed innovative policy frameworks emerging in places like Brazil and India that link economic development with climate resilience. One example was the use of “green seals” and sustainability certifications to drive deforestation-free agriculture, showing how governance can incentivize practices that deliver both mitigation and adaptation outcomes. The overarching message was that co-benefits are key: every climate action should be designed to maximize social and ecological benefits across the board. By breaking down barriers between policy domains and funding streams, the world can achieve faster emissions cuts and safer communities – a truly transformative approach in line with the Paris Agreement’s aims.

This focus on systemic solutions carried into a dedicated session on the economics of water, which confronted how climate change is upending the world’s most precious resource. Moderated by Henk Ovink, the Netherlands’ Special Envoy for Water and head of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, the discussion laid bare the need to radically rethink how we value water. Water, as Ovink reminded the audience, underpins everything – food production, energy generation, ecosystem health, and human well-being – yet our financial and governance systems often treat it in fragmented, short-sighted ways. Panelists from international finance and climate research explained that current investment models fail to account for the true value of resilience in water systems. For instance, preserving a watershed’s forests and wetlands can secure clean water and prevent disasters, but these benefits rarely show up on balance sheets. A Green Climate Fund specialist noted that infrastructure decisions still tend to focus on narrow cost-benefit analyses, missing the larger systemic returns of protecting “natural infrastructure” like rivers and aquifers. The session showcased emerging solutions: from blended finance initiatives that channel public and private capital into water security, to new metrics that price in the co-benefits of healthy catchments (flood control, food security, biodiversity, etc.). Panelists pointed to the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference as a crucial moment to elevate water on the global climate agenda. Their conclusion was that transformative adaptation requires transforming water governance and finance – treating water as a common good and planning for long-term resilience, rather than reacting to crisis by crisis. Only by investing in water sustainability now, they argued, can communities thrive on a hotter planet.

Fittingly, the day ended by zooming out to the global carbon picture – a stark reminder of why adaptation has become so urgent. In the final session, scientists released the Global Carbon Budget 2025, and its findings underscored the daunting scale of the climate challenge. Presenting the latest data, Dr. Stephen Sitch (University of Exeter) and Dr. Thelma Krug (Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research) revealed that carbon dioxide emissions reached another record high in 2025, roughly 1.1% above last year’s level. This unrelenting rise, despite decades of climate negotiations, is swiftly shrinking the remaining carbon budget for staying below 1.5 °C. “Science leaves no room for doubt,” Krug warned: without an immediate fossil fuel phase-out, even limiting warming to 2 °C will slip out of reach. The presenters showed that we are increasingly leaning on natural carbon sinks to buy time – forests, soils, and oceans now absorb over half of our emissions – but those sinks are under strain. Warming-induced droughts, wildfires, and ecosystem losses threaten to weaken nature’s ability to buffer us. A spotlight was put on Brazil as a microcosm of hope and concern. On one hand, Brazil’s recent policies have achieved a sharp drop in Amazon deforestation over the past year, illustrating the power of political will and enforcement. On the other hand, 2025 also saw record Amazon fires and drought, pushing the rainforest closer to a tipping point and driving up the country’s land-use emissions. This juxtaposition drove home a pivotal point: strong governance can bend the curve of emissions if it is sustained and coupled with broader global action. The Global Carbon Budget session ended with a sober call to action. To hold the world to a safe pathway – or to return to one after a period of overshoot – extraordinary efforts are required now. The scientists stressed the need to accelerate decarbonization in every sector, ramp up support for nature-based solutions to keep carbon sinks intact, and enhance international cooperation to ensure transparency and “carbon integrity” in emissions accounting. It was a fitting conclusion to Day 4’s theme of transformative adaptation: in a world defined by climate risks, only a response that is fast, integrated, and rooted in science will be enough to secure a livable future.