Scientists announced on Friday that the world has experienced the first full year with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Agency (C3S) confirmed this milestone, attributing it to climate change causing global temperatures to rise to unprecedented levels for modern humans.
C3S director Carlo Buontempo described the trajectory as remarkable, with every month in 2024 being either the warmest or second warmest on record.
The average global temperature in 2024, according to C3S, is projected to be 1.6 degrees Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the pre-industrial period from 1850-1900, prior to significant CO2-emitting fossil fuel usage.
Last year marked the hottest year on record, and the past decade has consistently ranked among the warmest.
While the Met Office anticipates average temperatures in 2024 surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius, they estimate a slightly lower average of 1.53 degrees Celsius (34.75 degrees Fahrenheit). US climate data for 2024 is also set to be released on Friday.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, governments have committed to preventing average temperatures from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid severe climate disasters.
Despite reaching the first year above 1.5°C, C3S believes there is still an opportunity to alter this trajectory and work towards meeting the Paris Agreement goals to curb rising emissions.
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The impacts of climate change are being felt across all continents, affecting populations from wealthy to impoverished nations.
Wildfires in California, devastating fires in Bolivia and Venezuela, heavy rains in Nepal, Sudan, and Spain, and fatal heatwaves in Mexico and Saudi Arabia were all experienced in 2024.
Climate change is intensifying storms and heavy rains due to increased atmospheric heat retention and moisture levels, with water vapor reaching record highs in 2024.
Despite escalating costs from these disasters, some countries are weakening in their commitment to emission control measures.
Incoming US President Donald Trump has dismissed scientific consensus on man-made climate change and its hazardous consequences, despite the country experiencing numerous billion-dollar climate disasters in 2024.
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Chukwumerije Okereke, a global climate governance professor, emphasizes that the 1.5 degree temperature surpass should serve as a wakeup call for key political figures to take action.
Despite ongoing warnings from scientists, many countries are failing to meet their responsibilities, Okereke added.
Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere hit a record high of 422 ppm in 2024, according to C3S.
Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist, anticipates that 2025 will be among the hottest on record, but unlikely to top the rankings.
As anthropogenic emissions remain a primary driver of climate warming, the transition from El Niño to cooler La Niña conditions is expected to moderate temperatures moving forward.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
