Nature and Biodiversity

4 climate tipping points the planet is facing

A large iceberg floats in the ocean near the town of Uummannaq in western Greenland March 17, 2010. Dutch artist Ap Verheggen plans to erect two giant sculptures on a piece of Greenland's sea ice and monitor them drifting away after the glacier breaks off.  REUTERS/Svebor Kranjc (GREENLAND - Tags: ENVIRONMENT ENTERTAINMENT) - GM1E63I09X501

Melting away. Image: REUTERS/Svebor Kranjc

Johnny Wood
Writer, Forum Agenda

Is our planet approaching a climate change cliff edge? Across the world, from the forests to the oceans, the consequences of humanity’s activities are being felt – and the effects could be catastrophic.

Here are four key climate emergencies happening right now:

1. Arctic permafrost is melting

Image: Nature

Rising temperatures are destabilizing the frozen ground that covers almost a fifth of the planet’s surface, and which has remained intact for millennia.

Permafrost binds soil, rock and sand in the ground. As it thaws, previously frozen organic matter in the ice decomposes, releasing harmful greenhouse gases – such as carbon dioxide and methane – into the atmosphere, with potentially devastating consequences for the planet.

A dangerous cycle then ensues where released greenhouse gases fuel further climate change, causing more permafrost to melt.

Climate scientist Dr Boris K Biskaborn of the Alfred Wegener Institute, a polar and marine research organization, predicts melting permafrost could increase temperatures by up to 0.27°C by 2100.

2. Amazon deforestation is reaching the point of no return

Image: Statista


Amazonian rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate of three soccer pitches every minute, according to Brazilian government data.

Deforestation in the Amazon region is fast approaching a point from which it might never recover, with scientists warning vast swathes of natural tree cover could degrade into savannah, undermining the vital role the rainforest plays in stabilizing Earth’s climate.


Trees absorb large amounts of harmful carbon dioxide from the planet’s atmosphere, which is stored in their branches and trunks. Cutting down large tracts of forest reduces nature’s ability to remove greenhouse gases and in turn slow climate change.

3. Warming waters are destroying ocean ecosystems

Image: Statista

The world’s oceans absorb much of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in rapidly increasing water temperatures, with reduced oxygen levels and increased acidity.

These changing conditions can disrupt marine life and devastate whole ocean ecosystems. Climate change increases the likelihood of extreme events like hurricanes or coral bleaching, which threaten the habitats of fish, mammals and other marine life.

Have you read?

Warmer waters also disturb fish breeding grounds, resulting in high mortality rates for species searching for a cooler environment in unsuitable waters. Such changes impact the food chain, including the food that humans eat.

But warmer oceans can also melt continental ice, causing sea levels to rise, which threatens the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities around the world.

4. Melting glaciers are causing sea levels to rise

Image: Statista

Iceland’s Okjökull glacier was the first to completely disappear due to climate change, and others around the world face a similar fate.

In the Himalayas, glaciers are retreating at double the speed they were in the late 20th century. The world’s highest mountain range and the Hindu Kush region have lost 15% of their ice since the 1970s.

Melting glaciers cause sea levels to rise and accelerate coastal erosion, changing weather systems and leading to more extreme and destructive weather events.

Urgent action is needed to avert disaster. The World Wildlife Fund forecasts that even if current global emissions levels are significantly reduced over the coming decades, more than a third of the planet’s glaciers will be gone by 2100.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Future of the Environment

Related topics:
Nature and BiodiversityClimate ActionSustainable Development
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Future of the Environment is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

How the Himalayas are being restored through participatory forest management

Aditi Mishra and Ar. Sachin Uniyal

October 31, 2024

Biodiversity declining even faster in 'protected areas', and other nature and climate stories you need to read this week

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum