The need for robust assessment of potential impacts and implications of climate change on biotic and human-use systems has been well documented. The Climate Change Impacts and Implications program (CCII) is a four-year research program currently underway in New Zealand. The overall aim of the program is to deliver new knowledge about the potential impacts of climate change. on New Zealand’s environment to 2100. On its own however, probabilistic understanding of expected changes is not enough. In-depth understanding of information needs and knowledge of how stakeholders use that information as part of short- and long-term risk management strategies is also required.

Based upon our experience working across multiple activities within the CCII project, we present three different aspects relating to the co-production of climate knowledge. Part 1 provides an overview of the mix of research aims and activities being used to achieve the goals of the program. The theoretical and conceptual framework is discussed, including the ways impacts and implications are defined and understood from multiple disciplinary perspectives, within the project. By drawing upon insights and experiences internationally and in New Zealand, we are opening up the possibilities for more robust decision-making. Using research pathways and relationships between research activities, we are enhancing the relevance of climate knowledge for stakeholders. We use a co-production model of knowledge generation (Part 2), and  Communities of Practice to build shared understanding of the issues (Part 3).