Attribution of extreme weather and climate events and their impacts (2026)

This National Academies report reviews the current state of extreme event attribution and the emerging field of extreme event impact attribution, examining how these approaches can improve understanding of climate risks and inform planning, policy and decision-making. Over the past decade, advances in climate science, observations and modelling have substantially strengthened the ability to assess how human-caused climate change influences individual extreme weather and climate events.

Some of the main recommendations that emerge from the study include:

1. A global, multidisciplinary community of researchers should together develop a common framework along with recommended best practices for EEA and EEIA to advance the fields and promote consistency and transparency in interpreting and communicating findings.
2. EEA and EEIA researchers should engage with diverse user groups and communities to understand their needs, advance science to address those needs, and work with communication specialists to develop effective strategies to enhance uptake of findings.
3. Researchers should explore approaches to incorporate nontraditional data sources, such as paleoclimate records and local and Indigenous knowledge, to enhance and supplement existing long-term data records.