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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

According to new data obtained by Greenpeace, a high-profile alliance of oil and chemical companies formed to combat plastic pollution produced 1,000 times more new plastic than the waste it cleaned up.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), which includes industry giants ExxonMobil, Dow, Shell, TotalEnergies, and ChevronPhillips, pledged in 2019 to divert 15 million tonnes of plastic waste from the environment by the end of 2023 through improved recycling, collection, and circular economy initiatives. However, that ambitious target was quietly abandoned last year as “too ambitious.”

Energy consultant Wood Mackenzie’s analysis reveals that these five companies collectively produced 132 million tonnes of polyethene and polypropylene—two of the most widely used plastics—in just five years. This output dwarfs the 118,500 tonnes of plastic waste the alliance managed to divert from the environment during the same period, primarily through recycling, landfill, or waste-to-fuel processes. Notably, this estimate doesn’t account for other significant plastics like polystyrene, suggesting the production figures could be even higher.

Internal documents obtained by Greenpeace’s Unearthed team reveal that a critical goal of the alliance was to “change the conversation” away from plastic bans, which were gaining traction globally amid public outcry over the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution. Critics argue this shift in narrative served to protect industry interests while failing to address the growing plastic waste crisis.

The findings have sparked renewed calls for accountability from corporations that dominate the plastic production market and underscore the need for more effective, enforceable solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. While the alliance may have fallen short of its goals, the question remains: how can industries transition from rhetoric to tangible, measurable action in combating plastic waste? Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Larina Marina/Shutterstock

Record-breaking ocean temperatures, fueled by human-induced climate change, have significantly strengthened Atlantic hurricanes in recent years, making them more potent and dangerous. According to a new analysis by the nonprofit climate research group Climate Central, every hurricane during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was made more robust than it otherwise would have been without the effects of human-caused carbon pollution.

Ocean waters, heated to 2.5°F warmer due to climate change, amplified hurricane wind speeds by 9 to 28 mph across the 11 hurricanes recorded this season. This acceleration of wind speeds pushed many storms into higher categories on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, increasing their destructive potential. “Every hurricane in 2024 was stronger than it would have been 100 years ago,” said Daniel Gilford, a climate scientist at Climate Central and the report’s lead author. “Through record-breaking ocean warming, human carbon pollution is worsening hurricane catastrophes in our communities.”

The findings are part of a broader analysis revealing that 84% of Atlantic hurricanes between 2019 and 2023 were more intense due to climate change. On average, these storms had wind speeds cranked up by 18 mph, with 30 storms escalating by at least one category due to warmer oceans.

The role of warming oceans is undeniable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over 90% of global warming has occurred in the oceans over recent decades. The Atlantic, in particular, saw water temperatures near record-breaking levels throughout the 2024 hurricane season, fueling hurricanes to strengthen and rapidly intensify more frequently. Rapid intensification, defined as an increase in wind speeds of at least 35 mph within 24 hours, occurred in nine of this season’s 11 hurricanes.

Category 5 Hurricane Milton, one of the most devastating storms of the season, exemplifies this trend. Milton rapidly intensified by 95 mph in just 24 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center, setting a record as the fastest intensifying storm in the Gulf of Mexico. These alarming statistics underscore how human carbon pollution directly influences hurricanes’ intensity and frequency.

The analyses highlight the urgent need to address human impacts on climate change, which not only exacerbates storm intensities but also endangers lives and communities along hurricane-prone coasts. As the oceans continue warming, the question looms: how much stronger will storms become, and how can we mitigate the damage? Read More

News Credit: Waay 31 ABC

Picture Credit: Marco Bello/ Reuters via CNN News source

In the early hours of Sunday morning, rich and poor nations concluded a high-stakes $1.3 trillion climate finance deal at the COP29 UN summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The agreement, aimed at helping the developing world transition to a low-carbon economy and adapt to the devastating impacts of climate change, marks a significant milestone—but it has been met with sharp criticism.

Under the deal, developing nations are promised at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. However, only $300 billion of this amount will come as grants or low-interest loans from developed countries—the forms of assistance most urgently needed. The remaining funds are expected to be sourced from private investors and unconfirmed mechanisms like levies on fossil fuels or frequent flyers, which are yet to be finalized.

For many, this has sparked outrage. Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, didn’t hold back, calling the summit “a disaster for the developing world” and accusing wealthy nations of betrayal. “Rich countries have promised to ‘mobilize’ funds in the future rather than provide them now. The cheque is in the mail. But lives and livelihoods in vulnerable countries are being lost now,” he said, highlighting the urgent need for immediate and tangible support.

The negotiations revealed deep divisions, with some of the world’s poorest and most climate-vulnerable nations advocating for more funds to come directly from developed countries. They also pushed for prioritizing finance for the most at-risk nations instead of distributing funds broadly, including to larger emerging economies like India. Despite these efforts, the final agreement fell short of meeting these demands, leaving many disillusioned.

While the $1.3 trillion target represents a substantial commitment, the reliance on private financing and unproven funding mechanisms raises concerns about whether the deal can genuinely deliver for those who need it most. As the impacts of extreme weather continue to devastate vulnerable regions, the question remains: is this agreement a step forward, or does it deepen the inequality in global climate action? Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Murad Sezer/Reuters