Positive ‘tipping points’ could spark changes that accelerate positive action on climate change, according to researchers at the University of Exeter.
A tipping point is a moment when a small change triggers a large, often irreversible response, researchers have previously warned that the world is dangerously close to several tipping points that could accelerate climate change.
In a new research paper published in the journal Climate Policy, the researchers have identified various positive tipping points in human societies that could rapidly cut carbon emissions.
The authors highlight two examples of where policy interventions have already triggered pertinent tipping points:
Professor Tim Lenton, director of the Global Systems Institute (GSI) at the University of Exeter, said: ‘We have left it too late to tackle climate change incrementally.
‘Limiting global warming to well below 2°C now requires transformational change and a dramatic acceleration of progress. For example, the power sector needs to decarbonise four times faster than its current rate, and the pace of the transition to zero-emission vehicles needs to double.
‘Many people are questioning whether this is achievable. But hope lies in the way that tipping points can spark rapid change through complex systems.
‘If either of these efforts — in power or road transport — succeed, the most important effect could be to tip perceptions of the potential for international cooperation to tackle climate change.’
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