An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points
Abstract To effectively navigate out of the climate crisis, a new interdisciplinary approach is needed to guide and facilitate research that integrates diverse understandings of how transitions evolve in intertwined social–environmental systems. The concept of tipping points, frequently used in the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-10-01
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| Series: | People and Nature |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10516 |
| _version_ | 1797666345705275392 |
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| author | Sonia Graham Melanie Wary Fulvia Calcagni Mercè Cisneros Claudia deLuca Santiago Gorostiza Ola Stedje Hanserud Giorgos Kallis Panagiota Kotsila Sina Leipold Jagoba Malumbres‐Olarte Tristan Partridge Anna Petit‐Boix Anke Schaffartzik Galia Shokry Sergio Tirado‐Herrero Jeroen van denBergh Patrizia Ziveri |
| author_facet | Sonia Graham Melanie Wary Fulvia Calcagni Mercè Cisneros Claudia deLuca Santiago Gorostiza Ola Stedje Hanserud Giorgos Kallis Panagiota Kotsila Sina Leipold Jagoba Malumbres‐Olarte Tristan Partridge Anna Petit‐Boix Anke Schaffartzik Galia Shokry Sergio Tirado‐Herrero Jeroen van denBergh Patrizia Ziveri |
| author_sort | Sonia Graham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract To effectively navigate out of the climate crisis, a new interdisciplinary approach is needed to guide and facilitate research that integrates diverse understandings of how transitions evolve in intertwined social–environmental systems. The concept of tipping points, frequently used in the natural sciences and increasingly in the social sciences, can help elucidate processes underlying major social–environmental transitions. We develop the notion of interlinked ‘social–climatic tipping points’ in which desirability and intentionality are key constitutive features alongside stable states, feedbacks, reversibility and abruptness. We demonstrate the new insights that our interdisciplinary framework can provide by analysing the slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and associated flooding of the Ahr Valley in Germany as a social–climatic tipping point. This framework can enable more sustainable and equitable futures by prioritising social–climatic tipping points for interdisciplinary research, identifying opportunities for action, and evaluating the nuanced desirability and acceptability of proposed solutions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:58:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2fe64e22dcba4ea49e919c2cb17de8cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:58:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj.art-2fe64e22dcba4ea49e919c2cb17de8cc2023-10-04T14:41:37ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142023-10-01551445145610.1002/pan3.10516An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping pointsSonia Graham0Melanie Wary1Fulvia Calcagni2Mercè Cisneros3Claudia deLuca4Santiago Gorostiza5Ola Stedje Hanserud6Giorgos Kallis7Panagiota Kotsila8Sina Leipold9Jagoba Malumbres‐Olarte10Tristan Partridge11Anna Petit‐Boix12Anke Schaffartzik13Galia Shokry14Sergio Tirado‐Herrero15Jeroen van denBergh16Patrizia Ziveri17Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInabita Laboratorio Territoriale Ripe San Ginesio ItalyGRC Geociències Marines Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainDepartment of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna Bologna ItalyInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainDepartment of Environmental Politics Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ Leipzig GermanycE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute/Azorean Biodiversity Group Universidade dos Açores Azores PortugalInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainDepartment of Geography Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) Madrid SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra SpainAbstract To effectively navigate out of the climate crisis, a new interdisciplinary approach is needed to guide and facilitate research that integrates diverse understandings of how transitions evolve in intertwined social–environmental systems. The concept of tipping points, frequently used in the natural sciences and increasingly in the social sciences, can help elucidate processes underlying major social–environmental transitions. We develop the notion of interlinked ‘social–climatic tipping points’ in which desirability and intentionality are key constitutive features alongside stable states, feedbacks, reversibility and abruptness. We demonstrate the new insights that our interdisciplinary framework can provide by analysing the slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and associated flooding of the Ahr Valley in Germany as a social–climatic tipping point. This framework can enable more sustainable and equitable futures by prioritising social–climatic tipping points for interdisciplinary research, identifying opportunities for action, and evaluating the nuanced desirability and acceptability of proposed solutions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10516AMOCclimate adaptationclimate impactsclimate mitigationinterventionstransformation |
| spellingShingle | Sonia Graham Melanie Wary Fulvia Calcagni Mercè Cisneros Claudia deLuca Santiago Gorostiza Ola Stedje Hanserud Giorgos Kallis Panagiota Kotsila Sina Leipold Jagoba Malumbres‐Olarte Tristan Partridge Anna Petit‐Boix Anke Schaffartzik Galia Shokry Sergio Tirado‐Herrero Jeroen van denBergh Patrizia Ziveri An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points People and Nature AMOC climate adaptation climate impacts climate mitigation interventions transformation |
| title | An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points |
| title_full | An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points |
| title_fullStr | An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points |
| title_full_unstemmed | An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points |
| title_short | An interdisciplinary framework for navigating social–climatic tipping points |
| title_sort | interdisciplinary framework for navigating social climatic tipping points |
| topic | AMOC climate adaptation climate impacts climate mitigation interventions transformation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10516 |
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