According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the year 2024 set a new record for global temperatures, driven by unprecedented greenhouse gas levels that have accelerated glacier melt, reduced sea ice, and contributed to rising sea levels.
In its annual climate report released on Wednesday, the WMO confirmed that the global average temperature in 2024 was 1.55°C (2.79°F) above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous record set 2023 by 0.1°C. This alarming trend has pushed the world closer to the critical 1.5°C warming threshold outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit long-term global temperature rise.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the current long-term average warming stands between 1.34°C and 1.41°C, signalling a dangerous proximity to the Paris Agreement limit. However, scientists caution that a year exceeding 1.5°C does not necessarily mean the threshold has been permanently breached.
“One thing to point out very clearly is that one year above 1.5 degrees doesn’t mean that the level mentioned in the Paris Agreement has been formally exceeded,” said John Kennedy, WMO’s scientific coordinator and lead author of the report.
As global temperatures progress, climate experts emphasize the urgent need for immediate and drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid long-term and irreversible climate impacts. Read Here
News Credit: Reuters
Picture Credit: REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File photo