# Making sense of response: How policies affect climate vulnerability

## TL;DR

This paper explores how different policies influence climate vulnerability and argues that many policies affecting climate risk are outside traditional climate interventions.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a new conceptual framework linking policies to climate vulnerability and risk determinants.

## Key findings

- Most policies affecting vulnerability and exposure are outside traditional climate interventions.
- Including response and other policies in risk assessments is crucial for adaptation research and practice.

## Abstract

There is a gap in understanding how different policies affect climate vulnerability and risk development, yet increasingly response is added to the risk framework. We propose a conceptual framework that explains how response and other policies affect risk determinants and demonstrate the application of the framework using a synthesis of empirical literature on climate-related health risks and adaptation in cities. The analysis shows that most of the policies affecting vulnerability and exposure are outside climate interventions, i.e., current conceptualization of response. The inclusion of response and other policies in risk assessments has implications for adaptation research and practice.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-025-02140-w.