Corporate Climate Resilience in the Resilience Decade

Ten years ago, Climate Resilience Consulting Joyce E. Coffee, LEED AP (then at ND-GAIN) along with Emilie Mazzacurati (then at Four Twenty Seven) with support from Cammie Erickson (then at BSR) conceived of and launched the first-ever survey examining how corporations were experiencing and preparing for the impacts of climate change.
The 2015 Corporate Adaptation Survey asked bold questions that many in the private sector hadn’t yet dared to consider.

What we uncovered in 2015 was striking:
* 30% of respondents reported bottom-line impacts from climate change—including droughts, superstorms, and climate-driven social unrest and political instability.
* Water scarcity and political instability topped the list of anticipated risks across industries.
* Over 70% expressed concern about material impacts to their supply chains, customers, and markets.
* Two-thirds had already experienced or expected increased capital and operational costs.
* And yet, 30% had no climate adaptation plan at all.

In hindsight, this survey didn’t just identify risk—it revealed a private sector on the cusp of transformation. Back then, few corporations were treating climate risk as a strategic priority. We helped start the conversation. And today, we see how far the corporate climate resilience has come.

Let’s keep building on that momentum in this Resilience Decade of corporate climate risk awareness and resilience planning.

2015 Corporate Adaptation Survey Results