Asia hosts Global Tipping Points Conference to address climate risks

The Global Tipping Points Conference was held in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, marking the first time the event series has been hosted in Asia. Attended by over 500 experts and stakeholders from Asia and Europe, the four-day conference focused on how to mobilize law, finance, health systems, and religious communities to catalyze environmental change.

With global warming projected to breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit established by the 2015 Paris Agreement, scientists warn that Earth’s natural systems are at risk of crossing irreversible thresholds. Specific concerns include the rapid death of coral reefs, which have already crossed a thermal tipping point of 1.2 degrees Celsius of warming. The International Union for Conservation of Nature warned that nearly all coral reefs could be lost by 2075, threatening marine biodiversity and industries such as fisheries and tourism. Other risks discussed include the destabilization of polar ice sheets and regional mountain glaciers.