Coral reefs reach first climate tipping point, scientists report

Scientists at the University of Exeter report that warm water coral reefs have passed a major climate tipping point, with widespread dieback underway due to global heating.

By Conor McAuley1 min read

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Coral reefs have reached a climate tipping point, with widespread dieback now underway due to global heating. The report estimates this occurred between 1C and 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, with a central estimate of 1.2C.

Global heating is now at approximately 1.4C, exceeding the 1.2C threshold. Without rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the upper limit of 1.5C would be reached within a decade.

The report, led by the University of Exeter, includes contributions from 160 scientists across 23 countries. It warns that unless global temperatures are reduced to 1.2C as fast as possible, reefs will not survive at any meaningful scale.