Climate policy faces increasingly complex challenges that span multiple human decision scales in nature-society systems. Contemporary climate policy models, while valuable and increasingly versatile in handling spatial and temporal scales, struggle to capture interacting multiscale decisions on the socioeconomic side. This perspective draws attention to the power of coupling among different modeling families, taking integrated assessment models (IAM), computable general equilibrium models (CGE), and agent-based models (ABM) as examples. Recent computational advances, maturity of models, availability of data, and interdisciplinary expertise make model coupling an increasingly feasible, effective, and useful tool for climate policy analysis. We examine the unique contributions of each modeling approach, highlight synergies from uniting their strengths, and discuss alternatives to and conditions for coupling. In addressing methodological challenges, we present examples of effective coupling of IAM-ABM-CGE, emphasizing the importance of maintaining model integrity while enhancing policy relevance. By bridging human decision scales and leveraging complementary strengths, coupled models can provide nuanced insights into climate-economy interactions, ultimately supporting effective and equitable-not just efficient and optimal-climate policies.

Agent-based modeling proliferates across applications and scientific disciplines. The downsides of this success are the plurality of code implementations and redundant solutions to recurring modeling tasks. It is especially critical for simulations concerned with modeling human behavior and social institutions. Reusable building blocks (RBBs) are seen as a solution due to their potential to foster standardization grounded in best practices, integration of domain knowledge (including qualitative social sciences) in code, and efficient model design. RBBs are compact code components representing mechanisms or processes useful across models and applications. RBBs have been extensively discussed in the agent-based community, with little progress in implementation. Here, we present an open-access online community platform – AGENTBLOCKS – designed to facilitate the sharing, comparison, review, reuse, and improvement of RBBs. As an international community effort, AGENTBLOCKS leverages lessons from past RBBs discussions and principles from other modeling communities that successfully apply modular, reusable code practices. The paper introduces the interface and structure of this repository, presents templates for RBBs documentation, provides tips to support aspiring users, and first examples. We highlight the need for alternative RBB implementations that share the same generic description. We also acknowledge that RBBs might represent different levels of interactions, starting from decisions concerning a single agent to interactions between multiple agents or agents and their environment. While initially designed to assist agent-based community, the platform can be utilized by other modelers (e.g. system dynamics, integrated assessment, equilibrium) who seek to improve the representation of human behavior, micro-level processes, heterogeneity, interactions, learning, and other complex dynamics. Naturally, the platform is only one element in the chain towards a successful adoption of best software development practices like RBBs. Future work should focus on populating the repository, refining review processes, and systematizing the variety of RBBs’ implementations including engagement with domain experts. Following this initial phase, we hope to further support technical improvements of the platform and widen its impact in and beyond the agent-based community.