Investing in Resilience: Time for a Systemic Approach
As climate impacts intensify, resilience investment has become more critical than ever. Research from the Resilient Futures Investment Roundtable highlights the urgent need for a shift from short-term, piecemeal fixes to long-term, sustainable solutions that strengthen resilience across interconnected systems. Without this shift, organisations risk being caught off guard by escalating climate disruptions, from extreme weather events to supply chain failures.
Investing in resilience is no longer a “nice to have”- it is essential for safeguarding businesses, communities, and economies. By acting now, we can mitigate future losses and position ourselves to thrive in the face of uncertainty. But a new approach is required.
To truly move the needle on resilience investment, we must adopt a systemic mindset—one that anticipates cascading climate impacts and prepares for them proactively. This requires shifting away from reactive, isolated efforts to a more holistic strategy that considers how different systems, sectors, and regions are interconnected. The Resilient Futures Investment Roundtable has produced a concept paper that introduces a framework designed to help decision-makers take this step.
The concept paper outlines the “ABCD pathway”, a four-step guide to help organisations transform their approach to resilience investment and shift from a narrow, asset focused mindset to a broader, more systemic perspective on resilience.
The pathway enables organisations to build a strong investment case and encourage decision-makers to consider resilience as an opportunity for innovation and growth. By aligning resilience investments with a broader vision, organisations can unlock new value while contributing to the sustainability and well-being of the regions in which they operate.
The pathway is already being used by organisations to reframe how they invest in resilience. Case studies show practical examples of how different sectors are applying a systemic lens to decision-making. These examples demonstrate how organisations are moving beyond short-term fixes, embedding resilience into their long-term strategies, and positioning themselves for future success.
The time to act is now. As climate risks grow more complex, the need for resilience investment has never been clearer. To find out more about the ABCD pathway and explore the case studies, visit https://resilientfuturesroundtable.com.au/ conceptpaper