Over 40 climate scientists are urging Nordic ministers to take immediate action to prevent global warming from causing a critical disruption to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an ocean current vital to Europe’s climate. A collapse of this system could lead to drastic weather shifts and widespread ecological damage.
The scientists warned that such a breakdown would have severe and irreversible consequences, especially for Nordic countries and beyond. In a letter to the Nordic Council of Ministers, they called for urgent measures, including global cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
Studies indicate the risk of the AMOC’s collapse has been underestimated, with the tipping point possibly arriving within the next few decades. A collapse could trigger cooling in the Northern Hemisphere, raise Atlantic sea levels, reduce rainfall in Europe and North America, and disrupt monsoons in South America and Africa.
“This is not a low probability event,” cautioned Professor Peter Ditlevsen of the University of Copenhagen, one of the letter’s signatories.
Professor Stefan Rahmstorf of Germany’s Potsdam Institute criticized the lack of global effort, highlighting that fossil fuel subsidies hit a record $7 trillion in 2022, demonstrating inadequate action to prevent the looming climate disaster.
