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This commentary proposes an actor-centered, risk-based approach to defining limits to social adaptation to climate change, arguing that identifying these limits is essential for assessing potential consequences and maintaining the rationale for greenhouse gas emission reductions.

This briefing note from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the scientific and political complexities of 'loss and damage' within the UNFCCC framework. It analyzes four key traits—attributability, irreversibility, unavoidability, and intolerability—to clarify the gap between risk management approaches and calls for climate justice and compensation.