Global data confirms that 2024 will be the hottest year on record, with the Earth’s average temperature reaching 1.6°C above preindustrial levels—the first time it has crossed the 1.5°C threshold in a calendar year. While the Paris Agreement aims to keep warming below 1.5°C, this goal is measured over decades, not single years. However, the consistent rise in temperatures highlights the growing challenge of meeting this target.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that November 2024’s global temperature was 1.62°C higher than preindustrial levels, making it one of 16 months in a 17-month stretch where temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C limit. CO2 emissions are still rising despite global pledges to transition away from fossil fuels, and the recent COP29 summit failed to reach a consensus on the phase-out of coal, oil, and gas.
The impacts of this warming are already visible. Heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and floods are becoming more extreme. Wildfires in Canada, the Amazon, and the Pantanal wetlands reached historic levels, driven by intense droughts and high temperatures. The resulting air pollution affected entire continents.
The economic toll is growing, too. According to Swiss Re, extreme weather events in 2024 caused $320 billion in economic damage, a 25% increase from the 10-year average. As scientists, policymakers, and climate activists continue to sound the alarm, the urgent need for climate action has never been more evident. Without bold measures to cut fossil fuel emissions by 45% by 2030, keeping warming below 1.5°C may soon be out of reach. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: David McNew/Getty Images