"Urgent Action Needed: Climate Tipping Points Pose Catastrophic Risks"

A new report warns that climate tipping points, where self-sustaining changes occur, are closer than previously thought. The report identifies over 25 tipping points in the Earth system, including the collapse of ice sheets, degradation of ecosystems, and disruption of ocean and atmospheric circulation. Human activities are already pushing some of these tipping points close, with coral reef loss becoming likely at 1.2°C of global warming. Economic assessments of climate change largely ignore tipping point risks. Urgent action is needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce habitat loss and pollution, and update governance approaches to address these risks.