Impact Trust • Working glossary
Derailment risk
The risk that worsening climate impacts will so destabilise societies and consume resources that they prevent us from addressing the causes of climate change – creating a vicious cycle where the crisis feeds itself.
Details
Context introduced
Laurie’s central conceptual contribution: a doom loop where climate shocks → societal destabilisation → less decarbonisation → worse climate change → worse shocks. Connects to the political backlash dynamic where disaster-hit communities vote against climate action.
Source
Laurie Laybourn / SCRI, strategic risk analysis
Source / First Appears In
Strategic Climate Risk TDT session
Authors
Impact Trust team
Contribute to this term
Share edits, alternative wording, or sources. Editors review submissions before publishing.
Thanks for contributing!
Your submission is pending review. You can track status on the Contributions page.