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Human societies could lose the ability to respond to worsening climate change, scientists have warned.

With global warming set to overshoot 1.5°C and a record-breaking El Niño climate event expected, experts say a catastrophic "Hothouse Earth" scenario may be closer than we think.

They argue that escalating environmental changes are only half of the story—as these changes could also "derail" our capacity to cut emissions and adapt.

The researchers, from the University of Exeter and the Strategic Climate Risk Initiative (SCRI), say "derailment risk" should be included in climate policies to ensure humanity retains the ability to act.

The paper is published in the journal Environmental Research Letters .

"While climate models don't currently predict a 'Hothouse' scenario, tipping points in the Earth system —such as melting ice sheets and Amazon rainforest dieback—could create a cascade of accelerating change," said Dr.…