A climate impact taxonomy operationalizing IPCC physical driver and risk concepts

This paper presents a new climate impact taxonomy designed to strengthen links between physical climate science and adaptation planning. Building on concepts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the taxonomy connects 35 climatic impact-drivers with eight representative key risks, creating a structured framework that helps translate climate hazards into actionable risk information.

The taxonomy integrates climate impact characteristics, adaptation and mitigation linkages, risk assessment information and references to relevant IPCC chapters. It provides a shared language for researchers, policymakers and practitioners, helping users understand how physical climate changes such as heatwaves, droughts or coastal flooding relate to risks affecting food security, water security, infrastructure, ecosystems, health and human mobility. The authors argue that the framework can support adaptation planning, climate services, risk assessments and policy development by providing a more systematic way to prioritize climate risks and identify adaptation responses. An online, interactive version of the taxonomy has also been developed to enable future updates and community contributions.