On October 13, the report " Global destinations" jointly conducted by 160 international scientists was published. The report compiles a series of breakthrough studies to identify "unable-to-turn" points of the Earth's ecosystem.
The report shows that warm coral reefs in the world are in a state of decline and are almost beyond recovery. This is considered the first "destination" recorded, showing that a large ecosystem is collapsing due to the impact of climate change.
For coral to recover, scientists say the world needs to take drastic action to bring global temperatures back to levels of only 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The warning came just weeks before the COP30 climate summit opened in Brazil, right at the edge of the Amazon tropical forest. Worryingly, the Amazon ecosystem itself is also at risk of collapsing as the global average temperature only needs to increase by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, based on the current rate of deforestation. This warning level has been revised down from previous estimates.
Another concern if temperatures continue to rise is the risk of disruption to a major Atlantic ocean flow, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Thisstream plays an important role in regulating the climate and ensuring a mild winter in Northern Europe.
"Change is happening very rapidly in many aspects of climate and biosphere," said environmental scientist Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, lead author of the report.
Scientists have been amazed by the speed of nature's change. Data from scientific agencies of the United Nations and the EU shows that the average global temperature has increased by about 1.3-14 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. The past 2 years have been recorded as the hottest in the history of the Earth, with the waves of sea heat causing 84% of coral reefs in the world to be completely bleached, and in some cases completely dead. Coral reefs are home to about 1/4 of marine life.
However, the report also recorded some positive signs. Mr. Lenton noted the progress in removing fossil fuels. According to data from the nonprofit consulting organization Ember, for the first time this year, renewable energy electricity output has exceeded coal globally.
Scientists call on countries attending COP30 in November to make further efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Based on current national policies, the world is heading for a temperature increase of about 3.1 degrees Celsius this century.
