Chapter 19. Coping with Global Warming: Systemic Design, Scope and Scale

The purpose of this chapter is to propose a systemic framework for dealing with global warming effectively. Our research question is: ‘How can society bring about a holistic approach to mastering the complexity of global warming it is confronted with?’ The dominant approaches to coping with climate change are one-dimensional. The focus is on combating greenhouse gases. In contrast, we advance a more holistic, multi-layered perspective. This study relies on the dimensions of scope and scale with their sub-dimensions. The dimension of scope embraces the two types of strategies – mitigation and adaptation – for coping with climate change. The dimension of scale leverages the cybernetic principle of recursion to organise efforts and actions at multiple organisational levels to addressing the complexities of global warming. The framework presented introduces a new perspective and strategies that chart sustainable paths into the future. If implemented, it will contribute to curbing global warming and strengthening humanity’s resilience in the face of climate change.