Tipping Points Discussion Series

1 September - 31 December 2023 CEST

Advancing Earth systems knowledge

This series of online discussions convened by AIMES, Future Earth, Earth Commission and WCRP aims to advance the knowledge about tipping points, irreversibility, and abrupt changes in the Earth system. It supports efforts to increase consistency in treatment of tipping points in the scientific community, develop a research agenda, and design joint experiments and ideas for a Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project (TipMip).

The 60-90 min events are held monthly and feature presentations from scientists working on the frontiers of earth systems research.

Register for each event individually to receive joining instructions. After an event, you can access recordings and materials on the links below.

Upcoming online events

Recordings of past events

Introduction to tipping points series, 21 September 2021

Amazon, 17 November 2021

Permafrost, 17 January 2022

Ice sheets, 25 January 2022

Ocean, 11 February 2022

Monsoons, 9 March 2022

Human and Earth systems interlinkages, 7 April 2022

Tipping towards positive social change, 12 May 2022

Paleoclimate insights on societal collapse, 3 June 2022

Coral reefs, 20 October 2022

Cloud feedbacks and atmospheric dynamics, 23 November 2022

Health implications of climate tipping points, 5 December 2022

Climate Tipping Points: how to tip society, not the planet, 26 January 2023

Governing Earth System Tipping Points in Times of Multiple Crises, 27 February 2023

Entering Social Tipping: Norms, Agency and Scales, 30 March 2023

Climate extremes and impacts on the terrestrial carbon-cycle and fires, 20 April 2023

Education and Digitalisation, 25 May 2023

Outcomes of Tipping Conference

Tipping Points - From climate crisis to positive transformation, 12-14 September @ University of Exeter

All you need to know

The discussion series is a joint activity of the Analysis, Integration, and Modeling of the Earth System (AIMES) global research project of Future Earth, the Earth Commission Working Group 1 Earth and Human Systems Intercomparison Modelling Project (EHSMIP) under the Global Commons Alliance, and the Safe Landing Climates Light House Activity of World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

Organized by

Analysis, Integration, and Modeling of the Earth System (AIMES)

The Analysis, Integration, and Modeling of the Earth System (AIMES) project is an international network of Earth system scientists and scholars that seek to develop innovative, interdisciplinary ways to understand the complexity of the natural world and its interactions with human activities.

WCRP Safe Landing Climates Lighthouse Activity

The Safe Landing Climates Lighthouse Activity is an exploration of the routes to “safe landing” spaces for human and natural systems. It will explore future pathways that avoid dangerous climate change while at the same time contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those of climate action, zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, and healthy ecosystems above and below water. The relevant time scale is multi-decadal to millennial.

Earth Commission

The Earth Commission is a major scientific assessment, hosted by Future Earth, to define a safe and just corridor for people and planet. The Commission will inform the creation of science-based targets, the “1.5-degree equivalents”, to help maintain and protect critical global commons – our shared climate, land, biodiversity, freshwater, atmosphere and oceans. The Earth Commission is an international team of leading natural and social scientists and five working groups of additional experts. It forms the scientific cornerstone of the Global Commons Alliance. Working Group 1 of the Earth Commission Earth and Human Systems Modeling Intercomparison Project is co-organizing this series.

World Climate Research Programme

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) leads the way in addressing frontier scientific questions related to the coupled climate system — questions that are too large and too complex to be tackled by a single nation, agency or scientific discipline. Through international science coordination and partnerships, WCRP contributes to advancing our understanding of the multi-scale dynamic interactions between natural and social systems that affect climate.

Future Earth

Future Earth is a global network of scientists, researchers, and innovators collaborating for a more sustainable planet. Future Earth initiates and supports international collaboration between researchers and stakeholders to identify and generate the integrated knowledge needed for successful transformations towards societies that provide good and fair lives for all within a stable and resilient Earth system. Future Earth is the host of the Earth Commission.