Compound weather and climate events are responsible for most impactful weather-related events. Climate change and variability alter the frequency, intensity, and underlying drivers of these events, making it essential for society to improve our understanding and assessment of such phenomena. Supported by the Emmy Noether Programme, the “Compound Climate Extremes” group advances the understanding of high-impact compound events by combining observations, novel climate model simulations providing hundreds to thousands of years of data, and impact models like hydrological and renewable energy models. The team studies a wide range of events, including widespread floods, hot-dry conditions favouring wildfires, droughts across global breadbasket regions that threaten global food security, and adverse weather combinations leading to shortfalls in the renewable energy system. We study the physical drivers of these events and assess the impact of climate variability and change on their occurrence. Recognizing the need for comprehensive risk assessments that account for worst-case scenarios, we evaluate multiple climate models to quantify and communicate uncertainties in future projections and explore potential worst-case events that could surprise society with extreme impacts.