Research has shown that incorporating gender, equity, and justice into adaptation planning is essential for ensuring that climate change adaptation is effective and sustainable. This briefing note highlights key findings from the 6th Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which referenced gender, equity and justice more times than any previous IPCC report. This is essential evidence to inform National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, to increase the likelihood that they yield  equitable outcomes, while avoiding maladaptive outcomes. By highlighting the ways in which exclusion and discrimination exacerbate vulnerability to climate change for different social groups—such as women, children, the elderly, Indigenous Peoples, and those facing discrimination—this document emphasizes the importance of including diverse perspectives in adaptation planning.  Further, it points to existing approaches for integrating gender, equity, and justice considerations into adaptation efforts.