LONDON – Global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions is accelerating, pushing many of the Earth’s most important ecosystems close to their tipping points, Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, has warned.

Speaking at the Reuters Sustainability Europe conference on Oct 20, Rockstrom said damage to coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest is close to becoming irreversible.

Parts of the Atlantic Ocean circulation system, including the current that moderates Western Europe’s climate with warm water from the Caribbean, were close to collapse.

The latest science confirms the world is on course to exceed a 1.5 deg C rise in average surface temperature in the next few years, increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, he said, ahead of the United Nations’ COP31 climate talks starting on Nov 9.

Companies looking to prepare and build resilience into their operations should treat climate and nature as a single integrated agenda rather than separate issues, he said.

While prioritising efforts to decarbonise, they should also invest in helping preserve nature, particularly projects related to maintaining or rebuilding biodiversity and reserves of fresh water.

Rockstrom said it is “incredibly disturbing” to see lobbying for an easing of rules on phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles, pointing to subsidies for petrol and diesel that are undermining consumer demand for electric vehicles.