Nate’s background & role

Nate, with a background rooted in geography, specializes in system science and the water-energy-food nexus, holding a Ph.D. in the field. His academic journey includes a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and International Development. Over the past two decades, Nate has professionally navigated the intersection of climate issues. He spent six years with CGIAR, a significant organization boasting 8000 research scientists dedicated to agriculture. Prior to that, he engaged in the water sector and ventured into entrepreneurship in his early 20s within the private sector. Originally Canadian, Nate has lived in several countries and currently calls London home. Presently, he serves as the CEO of the Global Resilience Partnership, a collaborative effort involving approximately 80 organizations focused on addressing climate resilience challenges.

Joshua’s background & role

Joshua, whose expertise lies in disaster relief and adaptation, hails from Africa, specifically Ghana, where the evident climate impacts during his upbringing sparked his interest in the field. He pursued studies in disaster management with a foresight into the world grappling with the cascading effects of climate change and social inequalities. Joshua has lent his skills to various international organizations, notably serving as the leader of the Thai youth program at the Global Center on Adaptation for a couple of years. Additionally, he held a position with the United Nations as a climate lead for the Secretary General’s office.

Taking a bold step, Joshua departed from these roles to establish the Youth Climate Justice Fund, a novel initiative providing unrestricted and flexible funding to grassroots-level youth climate activists. This initiative aligns with his founding of the Green Africa Youth Organization, which operates across Africa, collaborating with young people to engage with local government efforts, raise ambitions, and deliver climate solutions at the grassroots level. Joshua’s approach involves rooting climate solutions in local communities. Through his extensive networking and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, Joshua focuses on ensuring human security and safety in the face of extreme weather events and climate impacts.

Understanding climate resilience & its significance

Nate defines resilience as the capacity to thrive and evolve amidst constant change. Embracing the inherent uncertainty of the world, resilience entails adaptive capabilities to absorb shocks, navigate turbulence, and steer clear of undesirable tipping points and regime shifts. It encompasses the ability to prepare for, learn from, and navigate uncertainty and surprises. Additionally, resilience involves the capacity to maintain options, foster innovation, and undergo systemic transformation in response to crises and unsustainable development pathways.

Nate breaks down resilience into five crucial attributes: diversity, emphasizing the need for diverse options; redundancy, akin to an insurance mechanism; connectivity, acknowledging our hyper-connected world; inclusivity and equity, recognizing the importance of fairness; and adaptive learning, focusing on continuous learning and adaptation. These attributes form the foundation of the Global Resilience Partnership’s work.

Highlighting the urgency, Nate notes that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented 2.5 to 2.7-degree warming, an environment humans have never experienced. Even at the current 1.2 to 1.3 degrees, or if efforts manage to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, significant implications for global living conditions persist. Nate underscores the necessity of resilience in adapting to these changes while emphasizing the simultaneous importance of mitigation efforts in addressing the root causes of climate change.

The investment case for supporting resilience efforts

Joshua, approaching the investment case for supporting resilience efforts, emphasizes the crucial perspective from the Global South, particularly Africa. He underscores the significance of building resilience in emerging economies to sustain investments and ensure worthwhile returns. Using the example of coastal erosion posing a substantial risk to investments in coastal cities, he highlights the need for resilience to protect these valuable assets.

Considering the impact of climate-driven migration on the workforce and its implications for operating in sensitive ecosystems, Joshua emphasizes the vital role of resilience in securing a stable workforce. From a traditional business standpoint, he stresses the potential downturn of vibrant sectors like real estate, manufacturing, and FMCGs if resilience measures are not implemented. The vulnerability of critical infrastructure to hydrological risks, such as flooding and cyclones, further underscores the importance of resilience.

Joshua contends that businesses and the private sector should take a critical interest in supporting adaptation and investment in resilience. While acknowledging the challenge of quantifying the financial returns on adaptation investments, he argues that the focus should not solely be on numerical calculations but on thriving, surviving, and excelling as a society. Joshua believes that adaptation efforts are essential not only for protecting livelihoods and human security but also for safeguarding the overall development of societies, including businesses and infrastructure. Despite the difficulties in precisely calculating the financial outcomes of adaptation, Joshua asserts that the narrative should center on creating a safe and secure environment for populations, promoting business growth, and ensuring the resilience of essential infrastructure in the face of increasing climate challenges.

Resources Mentioned

• Global Resilience Partnership
• Green Africa Youth Organization
• Youth Climate Justice Fund
• CGIAR
• Global Center on Adaptation

Connect with Nathanial Matthews & Joshua Amponsem

• Connect with Nathanial on LinkedIn
• Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn

Connect with Jason Rissman

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• On Twitter

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