Tipping Points Report shows humanity on ‘disastrous trajectory’

Led by Exeter University and featuring the work of over 200 researchers, the Global Tipping Points Report claims that humanity is currently on a ‘disastrous trajectory’ and that existing global governance is not equipped for the scale of the challenge. The report is based on an assessment of 26 negative Earth system tipping points, where incremental changes build to eventually trigger transformative events in nature and society.

According to the report, five of these tipping points are likely to be breached, including the collapse of major ice sheets, the widespread thawing of permafrost, the death of warm-water coral reefs, and the collapse of a North Atlantic current. As more tipping points in the natural world are triggered, there is an increasing likelihood of mass displacement of people and global crop failure.

“Tipping points in the Earth system pose threats of a magnitude never faced by humanity,” said research lead Professor Tim Lenton, from Exeter’s Global Systems Institute. “They can trigger devastating domino effects, including the loss of whole ecosystems and capacity to grow staple crops, with societal impacts including mass displacement, political instability and financial collapse.”