The terrifying floods in Pakistan in recent weeks that have killed 1,400 people and displaced 40mn others have been called the “climate catastrophe of the decade.” The fear is that such disasters will only become more frequent and more deadly as our planet warms. But some environmental experts are convinced the problem is fixable. We have the technological knowhow to combat the threat. So how do we galvanise collective action at the necessary speed and scale?

That problem was highlighted at a wide-ranging conference on climate change and biodiversity hosted by the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum in London this week, involving policymakers, environmental researchers, financiers and technologists. One scientist there asked: “Is climate and nature a cost or an income generator?” If viewed as a cost, it will always be tough to persuade politicians to act. If viewed as a means of generating jobs, greater prosperity and improved wellbeing, it will be an easier sell.

In April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that greenhouse gas emissions had reached their highest level in human history over the previous decade. Without immediate and deep reductions in emissions, the possibility of limiting rising sea levels and preventing irreversible environmental damage would be beyond reach.