Climate change is having a significant impact on biodiversity, natural resources and society in the Himalayas. Here we synthesize the work of 22 papers on climate change issues in the Sikkim Himalayas, and propose a framework for future research and action for adaptation and mitigation. The first section of the paper delineates the status of current data on changes in temperature, precipitation, snow cover and glacier volume. The second section summarizes efforts of documenting local community experiences, observations and traditional ecological knowledge developed over decades. These papers demonstrate that such knowledge can add considerably to scientific data. The third section deals with papers measuring impacts of climate change on water, biodiversity, agriculture and livestock. These employ approaches ranging from modeling based on remotely sensed data to ground-based observations. These papers again demonstrate the urgent need for systematic information on current effects of climate change on nature as well as on society. The fourth section assesses the various approaches to vulnerability assessments. Existing strategies to cope with the negative impacts of climate change are summarized in the next section. In the final section, we urge the establishment of a state-level inter-departmental authority, with representation from government departments, academia, and civil society, to develop and implement a state-wide framework for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Sikkim. This framework should include: monitoring of climate change and its impacts; development of systematic scenarios and improved modeling; vulnerability assessments; and the design and evaluation of interventions for adaptation and mitigation.