Introduction
Here you will find detailed analyses of our planet's critical climate tipping points—factors that demand immediate attention from global policymakers and activists.
What Are Climate Tipping Points?
Climate tipping points refer to critical thresholds at which small changes snowball into significant, often irreversible, shifts in the Earth’s climate system. These events are not only symptomatic of underlying global changes but also potent triggers for cascading effects on both natural ecosystems and human societies.
Explore the Major Tipping Points
Below are some of the key tipping points we are tracking. Click on any of the items for an in-depth analysis.
Darkening Oceans
- Darkening Oceans May Become a Major Climate Tipping Point
Increasingly murky waters reduce the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon, destabilizing marine ecosystems and weakening a major climate buffer.
Coral Reef Bleaching
- Coral Reef Bleaching: A Looming Climate Emergency
As ocean temperatures rise, coral reefs experience bleaching events that compromise biodiversity and disrupt coastal protection.
Melting Glaciers
- Melting Glaciers: A Harbinger of Climate Change
Rapid glacial melt contributes to sea level rise and affects freshwater availability, while also influencing global climate patterns.
Thawing Permafrost
- Thawing Permafrost: Unleashing Hidden Threats
The thawing of permafrost releases greenhouse gases trapped for millennia, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates climate warming.
Melting Glaciers
- Melting Glaciers: A Harbinger of Climate Change
Rapid glacial melt contributes to sea level rise and affects freshwater availability, while also influencing global climate patterns.
Thawing Permafrost
- Thawing Permafrost: Unleashing Hidden Threats
The thawing of permafrost releases greenhouse gases trapped for millennia, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates climate warming.
Amazon Rainforest Dieback
- Amazon Rainforest Dieback: A Tipping Point for the Lungs of the Earth
Rapid glacial melt contributes to sea level rise and affects freshwater availability, while also influencing global climate patterns.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
- AMOC Disruption: A Tipping Point in Ocean Circulation
The Amazon Rainforest, a vital carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot, is approaching a tipping point where deforestation and climate change could trigger irreversible ecosystem collapse.
Global Soil Fertility Loss
- Loss of Global Soil Fertility: A Hidden Tipping Point
The degradation of global soil fertility threatens food security, reduces agricultural productivity, and accelerates climate change by diminishing the land’s ability to store carbon and sustain ecosystems.
Arctic Ice Loss
- Arctic Ice Loss & Polar Amplification: Accelerating Climate Change
Arctic ice loss and polar amplification accelerate global warming by reducing Earth's reflective ice cover, intensifying climate feedback loops, and disrupting weather patterns worldwide.
Carbon Sinks Collapse
- Collapse of Major Carbon Sinks: An Accelerant for Climate Change
The collapse of major carbon sinks—forests and oceans—weakens Earth's ability to absorb CO₂, accelerating climate change and triggering irreversible warming feedback loops.
Why It Matters
Recognizing and addressing these tipping points is essential for devising effective climate strategies. Each tipping point offers a unique glimpse into the vulnerability of our planet’s systems—and underscores the urgent need for action.
Stay informed, get involved, and let’s work together to safeguard our future. For further details on each topic, click through to the dedicated pages.