The Adaptation & Resilience sector does not refer to a net source of greenhouse gas emissions like the other sectors featured on this Dashboard. Instead, adaptation and resilience are about behaviors, policies, and programs that the City and residents can take to help adapt to our changing climate.

Because climate change is happening so rapidly, even if we successfully slow down the rate of global warming, scientists expect significant changes to our environment which may have adverse health and societal consequences that we must be prepared for.

Adaptation is about adapting to already changing environmental conditions. For example, climate change is leading to more extreme heat and cold conditions, which we must be prepared for. Similarly, resilience refers to the capacity of our systems to respond to the changing climate and related hazardous events.

The City of Cupertino is committed to both of these—pursuing policies and programs that not only help us adapt to the changing environment but also build resilience within our community.