Lean back on a chair until you reach the balance point and you’ll appreciate that sometimes a small nudge makes a big difference to a system. It can trigger change that is self-propelling and hard to reverse – leaving you sprawled on the floor. That is a tipping point. Many systems – from the climate to human societies – can exhibit them.
In a changing climate, tipping points are probably the biggest risk we face, because they produce widespread, abrupt and irreversible damage. Tipping points that can be triggered by global warming are to be found in the living and the frozen parts of the planet, and in the circulation of the ocean and atmosphere.
Why some tipping points may be positive for the planet
Unpredictable and abrupt changes in the climate are fast approaching, but the rapid uptake of electric vehicles and solar power shows that societies can also ‘tip’ in ways that might head off the worst, says Tim Lenton.
The World Today
Published 15 September 2025
Updated 17 September 2025 — 4 minute READ
Image — An 1888 wood cut shows a worker clearing manure from the streets of New York. Horse-drawn carriages gave way to the motor car much more quickly than forecast. Image: Getty Images.
