SiMCaP and its different submodules are currently built in order to facilitate quantitative policy analysis during the 2nd round of commitment negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

SiMCaP was initiated by Malte Meinshausen, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, and Bill Hare, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research & Greenpeace International in July 2003.