Social dynamics can delay or prevent climate tipping points by speeding the adoption of climate change mitigation

Social dynamics are increasingly integrated into climate change models, yet tipping points in coupled social-climate systems remain understudied. This is concerning given that processes like permafrost thaw and forest dieback can trigger positive feedback loops that accelerate carbon release and global warming. We have developed a coupled model combining an Earth system component with a social behaviour model, each including tipping mechanisms. The climate model includes an additional carbon release term representing tipping reservoirs. The social model captures opinion dynamics shaped by social learning rates, mitigation costs and the strength of social norms. Our results show that weak social norms have little effect on tipping dynamics. However, faster social learning can delay or even prevent climate tipping by accelerating mitigation responses. Simulations reveal nonlinear, regime-dependent dynamics, with bifurcation-like behaviour separating tipping and no-tipping pathways. In some scenarios, a climate tipping point can trigger secondary tipping in social behaviour. Crucially, the model enables estimation of the time to tipping, offering a forward-looking risk measure. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating social feedbacks in climate models to better anticipate, and potentially avoid, catastrophic tipping events.