The world is intensifying and speeding up measures that can help prevent the rise of global temperatures by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Changes in the electrification of systems, removing fossil fuel from transport, transitioning to greener energy sources are all part of the larger plan to deal with climate change.

But the pace of adoption has been slower than what many would have liked. A new study suggests that using tipping points to bring faster action on climate change may be the way to go about things. Tipping points would allow for small systemic interventions to cascade to widescale changes in society, highlighted the study conducted in the Exeter University.

Tipping points are points in a system where even small changes can push the system into becoming a completely different system. In climate science, tipping points are those thresholds, which if exceeded can lead to large and irreversible changes in the environment.

Tipping points in the study, however, are more of a social phenomenon. These tipping points are when groups of people, societies, or communities, change their behavior, mindset, or habit in small ways which then cascades to greater societal change across wider portions of society. It can be thought of small changes in a community leading to a large change in how society may function.

Some positive social tipping points include greater emphasis on recycling, an increase in environmental consciousness, greater importance on making positive action towards saving the environment from society, and more.

“The only way we can get anywhere near our global targets on carbon emissions and biodiversity is through positive tipping points,” said Professor Tim Lenton, the study lead.

“People, whether they’re business leaders, policymakers, or whatever, know what needs to change. The question is how? It’s starting to happen, but it’s not going quick enough. The complexity can be paralyzing. I wanted to show that, if you understand the complexity, it can open up windows of opportunity to actually change things,” he added.

Small changes like subsidies for solar power adoption can lead to substantial changes. Early subsidies and the resultant mass production today have resulted in solar power being one of the cheapest sources of energy.

The paper identifies "enabling conditions" of various potential tipping points and what exactly may be able to trigger these tipping points. But the authors also highlight that tipping points aren’t the norm, and thus, it is important to identify them to bring fast social change in many areas.

"Continuing to delay action to accelerate a just transformation towards global sustainability will only accentuate the need to find and trigger even more dramatic positive tipping points in the future,” the researchers added.

First Published:Feb 13, 2022 11:54 AM IST