The world has officially crossed its first climate tipping point due to unchecked greenhouse gas emissions, scientists warned on Monday. The 2025 Global Tipping Point Report produced by 160 researchers across 23 countries warns that coral reefs, vital ecosystems that support a quarter of all marine life and protect hundreds of millions of people, are now in irreversible decline due to ocean warming and acidification. It also indicates other tipping points, including the Amazon rainforest, are at severe risk.

The report warns that the 1.5 degree threshold enshrined in the Paris Agreement will be breached within 10 years without a rapid and urgent decline in greenhouse gas emissions. This news comes just weeks before COP30 in Belém, Brazil, a pivotal moment for global climate negotiations, where local traditional communities and Indigenous Peoples are demanding a seat at the table at the summit. These groups are currently leading restoration projects that regenerate land, store carbon, and protect biodiversity in solidarity with communities the world over whose ecosystems and livelihoods are at risk.

Anne Jellema, Executive Director at 350.org says, “This is a heartbreaking loss. Future generations will inherit empty seas where magical kaleidoscopes of life once thrived. This irreversible collapse is a preview of what we’re about to lose next: rainforests, glaciers, entire species. COP30 must be the moment leaders choose to stop fossil fuels and protect what can still be saved.”

Fenton Lutunatabua, Deputy Head of Regions at 350.org says, “This is not only an ecological tragedy but a profound injustice for the communities who did the least to cause this crisis. From the Pacific to the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, people are at risk of losing their food systems, cultures, and livelihoods due to warming oceans and rising seas. Now more than ever we must draw the line to keep the 1.5 degree warming threshold intact.

At COP30, the most polluting countries need to step up and stop putting profits over people and the planet. We’re tired of excuses and delays.”

Norly Mercado, Asia Regional Director at 350.org says, “In Southeast Asia alone, more than 120 million people rely on the Coral Triangle’s rich marine habitats for food and income. These frontline communities have faced increasing hunger and declining incomes for years. This report only confirms their lived realities and warns us of the even greater destruction ahead. But the fight isn’t over. The renewable energy revolution is here, reimagining Asia’s future. At COP30, world leaders must deliver what the science now demands–an end to fossil fuels–or condemn future generations to a world without coral reefs and the life they sustain.”

350.org and partners are demanding COP30 deliver:

  • A rapid phaseout of fossil fuels, with no new oil, gas, or coal projects.

  • Increased finance and reparations for communities on the frontlines of climate loss and damage.

  • Protection and restoration of biodiversity through rights-based conservation led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

ENDS

Media contact:

Kim Bryan

kim.bryan@350.org

+447770881503

Pascale Hunt

pascale.hunt@350.org

+6281236661189