A global climate movement has sounded the alarm after scientists confirmed that the world has crossed its first major climate tipping point — the irreversible decline of coral reefs.

In a statement on Tuesday, 350.org said the warning must serve as a wake-up call for world leaders to end fossil fuels and act decisively at the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.

The 2025 Global Tipping Point Report, produced by 160 scientists from 23 countries, found that coral reefs — vital ecosystems that sustain a quarter of all marine life and protect hundreds of millions of people — are now in irreversible decline due to ocean warming and acidification. 

The report also warned that other systems, including the Amazon rainforest, are nearing critical thresholds.

The study predicts that the world will breach the 1.5°C warming limit under the Paris Agreement within a decade unless emissions decline rapidly.

‘A heartbreaking loss’

“This is a heartbreaking loss,” said Anne Jellema, Executive Director at 350.org. “Future generations will inherit empty seas where magical kaleidoscopes of life once thrived,” she added. 

Jellema said the “irreversible collapse is a preview of what we’re about to lose next: rainforests, glaciers, entire species,” adding that the COP30 “must be the moment leaders choose to stop fossil fuels and protect what can still be saved.”

Justice for frontline communities

“This is not only an ecological tragedy but a profound injustice for the communities who did the least to cause this crisis,” said Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org’s Deputy Head of Regions. 

He said people across the Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean are now facing the loss of their food systems, cultures, and livelihoods as warming oceans and rising seas devastate coastal communities. 

He stressed that the situation highlights the urgent need to keep global temperature rise within the 1.5-degree threshold to prevent further irreversible damage.

“At COP30, the most polluting countries need to step up and stop putting profits over people and the planet,” he added. “We’re tired of excuses and delays.”

Asia’s coral crisis

In Asia, the warning hits close to home. In Southeast Asia alone, “more than 120 million people rely on the Coral Triangle’s rich marine habitats for food and income,” according to Norly Mercado, Asia Regional Director of 350.org.

“These frontline communities have faced increasing hunger and declining incomes for years. This report only confirms their lived realities and warns us of the even greater destruction ahead,” she added. 

She said the struggle for climate justice continues as communities across the region embrace renewable energy solutions that are reshaping Asia’s future. 

She emphasized that COP30 must be the turning point where world leaders heed scientific warnings, end fossil fuel dependence, and act decisively to protect future generations from a world without coral reefs and the diverse life they sustain.

Ahead of COP30, 350.org and allied groups are pressing governments to move beyond pledges and take concrete steps: to phase out fossil fuels, halt new oil, gas, and coal projects, increase support for communities already suffering climate impacts, and ensure Indigenous Peoples and local communities lead efforts to restore and protect ecosystems.