Currently, at COP16 in Colombia, leaders from 196 countries have convened to address urgent decisions about our collective survival. Biodiversity is under severe threat, and humanity faces significant risks as well. Despite global agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Paris Agreement, national actions continue to fall far short of the necessary targets. More than half of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set for 2030 are on track to be missed, and current climate pledges could result in a 3°C rise in global temperatures by the end of the century, pushing the planet past critical environmental tipping points.
A tipping point occurs when cumulative environmental damage reaches a threshold, potentially triggering abrupt and irreversible changes.
As highlighted in the latest WWF Living Planet Report, the most critical tipping points include:
The Amazon Rainforest: If 20–25% of the Amazon is destroyed—of which an estimated 14–17% has already been cleared—it could lead to local, regional, or even biome-wide forest collapse. This would release vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and drastically alter global weather patterns, with catastrophic consequences for ecosystems and human survival.
Western North America: a combination of pine bark beetle infestations and increasingly frequent, intense wildfires—both worsened by climate change—is pushing pine forests toward a tipping point, where they may be replaced by shrubland and grassland.
The Great Barrier Reef: rising sea temperatures and ongoing ecosystem degradation have caused mass coral bleaching 7 times from 1998, to 2024. Despite the reef’s remarkable resilience thus far, we are on track to lose 70–90% of all coral reefs globally, including the Great Barrier Reef, even if we manage to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
These figures become even more alarming when we consider that, in just 50 years—within a single human lifetime—wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73%. Latin America has suffered the most dramatic loss, with a 95% drop, according to the WWF Living Planet Index. This demonstrates that reaching these dangerous tipping points is easier than one might expect.
Despite our awareness of the causes, the drivers behind these losses—habitat destruction primarily due to the food system, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution and climate change—continue to escalate. As these pressures mount, critical ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest and coral reefs face the very real threat of collapse.
To prevent the most catastrophic outcomes, countries must strengthen, expand, and adequately fund protected areas, while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, who play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity. However, as citizens, we have the power to act where governments fall short, not only by electing the right leaders but also by being more conscious of our purchases and lifestyle choices.
First, we need to address the primary challenge: The Global Food System.
The food system is a major driver of environmental degradation. Despite record food production, 735 million people go hungry, while a third of the global population lacks proper nutrition. The food system uses 40% of habitable land, accounts for 70% of water use, and generates over 25% of GHG.
The system can—and must—become more sustainable, even with growing demand, by:
- Scaling up sustainable, nature-positive food production.
- Shifting toward more plant-based diets in developed countries while addressing undernutrition.
- Drastically reducing food waste.
- Redirecting harmful farming and fishing subsidies to support sustainable practices.
We must also prioritize Greening the Financial System
The finance sector also plays a critical role in driving the nature and climate crises, with an estimated US$7 trillion annually funding harmful activities. To reverse this, we need to redirect finance toward nature-based solutions and sustainable business models. By shifting just 7.7% of current negative financial flows, we could close the funding gap for nature conservation and climate action.
In light of the failures and delays of governments, non-governmental entities must take immediate action by investing in high-integrity nature-based solutions for climate mitigation, which have the potential to reduce annual GHG emissions by 10–19% while also benefiting ecosystems and improving livelihoods. As individuals, we can choose to become more informed and nature-positive each day through our choices regarding what we eat and purchase.
