Positive and negative tipping points

Dec 17, 2025

In the final episode of the year, Anna speaks to Professor Tim Lenton (Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter) about climate tipping points – the thresholds where a tiny change could lead to large and often irreversible transformations in the Earth system, with potentially disastrous consequences. Examples of such ‘negative’ tipping points include the dieback of the Amazon rainforest, the melting of the Greenland icesheet, and the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). But not all tipping points are bad. In the interview, Anna and Tim also discuss how the triggering of ‘positive tipping points’ within human societies could lead to rapid decarbonization.

 

For further reading, please see:

• Tim Lenton’s book ‘Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis’.
• Tim Lenton’s article ‘Why some tipping points may be positive for the planet’ in Chatham House’s magazine ‘The World Today’.