Coral reefs, ice sheets and Amazon rainforest approaching a tipping point due to global heating, report says

"The earth has reached its first catastrophic tipping point linked to greenhouse gas emissions, with warm water coral reefs now facing a long-term decline and risking the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, according to a new report. The report from scientists and conservationists warns the world is also on the brink of reaching other tipping points, including the dieback of the Amazon, the collapse of major ocean currents and the loss of ice sheets."

"Tipping points are recognised by scientists as moments when a major ecosystem reaches a point where severe degradation is inevitable. The world's coral reefs are home to about a quarter of all marine species but are considered one of the most vulnerable systems to global heating. Unless we return to global mean surface temperatures of 1.2C (and eventually to at least 1C) as fast as possible, we will not retain warm-water reefs on our planet at any meaningful scale, the report says."

Earth has reached a catastrophic tipping point linked to greenhouse gas emissions: warm-water coral reefs face long-term decline and threaten hundreds of millions of livelihoods. Coral reefs support about a quarter of marine species and rank among the ecosystems most vulnerable to global heating. A global bleaching event since January 2023—the fourth and worst on record—has affected more than 80% of reefs across over 80 countries and pushed reefs into uncharted territory. Coral tipping thresholds lie between about 1.0–1.5°C above late 19th-century levels (central estimate 1.2°C); global heating is now around 1.4°C. Other potential tipping points include Amazon dieback, collapse of major ocean currents, and loss of ice sheets, while some experts contest the certainty of complete reef loss and cite evidence of greater thermal resilience in some reefs.

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