Host of positive ‘tipping points’ can regenerate nature - University of Exeter

A host of positive “tipping points” can spark rapid nature recovery, a leading expert says.

Action to protect and restore nature must accelerate radically to meet global goals for 2030 and beyond.

Writing in the journal Nature Sustainability, Professor Tim Lenton says positive tipping points are key to achieving this.

He highlights potential tipping points – moments when a small change triggers a rapid, often irreversible transformation – in nature, human societies and areas where the two combine.

“The destruction and degradation of the natural world pose an existential threat,” said Professor Lenton, of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter.

“We are already crossing or approaching several dangerous ecological tipping points, including the dieback of warm-water coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest. But just as human activity can drive negative tipping, we can bring about positive tipping points to spark large-scale nature recovery.”

While addressing climate change is vital for protecting nature, specific social and ecological tipping points can regenerate ecosystems, spread nature-positive activities, and reduce drivers of nature loss.