A proposal for a new scenario framework to support research and assessment in different climate research communities

► We discussed how scenarios can be developed that can be used to support adaptation and mitigation analysis. ► A scenario framework is proposed based on two separate axes: the climate signal and socio-economic developments. ► The paper shows that these axes are sufficiently independent based on analysis of scenario literature. ► The second axis can be related to the vulnerability to climate change and the ability to mitigate. ► It is shown how such a framework can be used both to develop new scenarios and classify existing scenarios.