In the years ahead, development efforts aiming at reducing vulnerability will increasingly have toactor in climate change, and social protection is no exception. This paper sets out the case for  climate responsive social protection and proposes a framework with principles, design features, and  functions  that  would  help  SP  systems  evolve  in  a climate‐responsive  direction.  The  principles  comprise climate‐aware planning; livelihood‐based approaches that consider the full range of assets and institutions available to households and communities; and aiming for resilient communities by planning for the long term. Four design features that can help achieve this are: scalable and flexible programs that can increase coverage in response to climate disasters; climate‐responsive targeting systems; investments in livelihoods that build community and household resilience; and promotion  of better climate risk management.