The main goal of this Workshop is to advance our understanding of metastability, critical behaviour, and long transients in models of Earth system to substantially improve our ability to anticipate critical behaviour. The topic covers a diverse spectrum of research disciplines: applied mathematics, data science, theoretical and statistical physics, complexity theory, climate science, paeloclimatology, and mathematical/theoretical ecology. Therefore, we will welcome diverse participants ranging from theoreticians to numerical modellers, and to experts in observations, experiments, data collection and postprocessing. We will focus on the nascent approaches and theories, and will explore the interdisciplinary aspects of the problem. We will also relate modelling the current global situation the Earth’s crises in the past, where changes in the climatic conditions or in its dominant patterns of variability caused mass extinction events. The workshop will consist of a set of insightful talks followed by joint discussions.