Data Reveals 2025 as Earth’s Third Hottest Year on Record

According to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitoring service, last year ranked as the third warmest on record in modern history.

This finding aligns with existing trends; Copernicus data reveals that the last 11 years have consistently been the warmest in history.

In 2025, the average global temperature soared to approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius (2.65 degrees Fahrenheit) above the baseline period from 1850 to 1900. This reference period is significant as it predates the industrial era, marking a time before extensive carbon emissions entered our atmosphere.

“Annual surface temperatures exceeded average levels across 91 percent of the globe,” stated Samantha Burgess, head of climate strategy at the European Center for Medium-Range Forecasts, which operates Copernicus. “The primary contributor to these record temperatures is the accumulation of greenhouse gases, largely from fossil fuel combustion.”

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, global leaders committed to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, this goal appears increasingly unachievable as temperatures have neared or surpassed this threshold for three consecutive years.

Mauro Facchini, director of Earth Observation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defense, Industry, and Space, noted at a press conference: “A three-year average temperature exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels is a milestone we never anticipated.” He emphasized the urgent need to address climate change.

The U.S. government is anticipated to unveil its 2025 climate metrics on Wednesday. NASA provides its reports separately from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, owing to differing methodologies in calculating average annual temperatures, which often leads to variations in findings.

Nevertheless, the overarching trend is unmistakable: the planet is warming at an alarming rate, possibly faster than scientists had predicted.

Europe faces bleak climate data, compounded by the U.S. administration’s aggressive moves to roll back climate regulations and retreat from international efforts to mitigate warming.

Last week, the Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, diminishing the U.S. role in global climate change discussions. Additionally, plans to withdraw support from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which produces crucial reports on climate change impacts, were made public.

The United States is set to officially leave the Paris Agreement later this month, following a one-year waiting window.

President Donald Trump has labeled climate change “the work of con artists,” and his administration has actively sought to downplay critical climate reports such as the National Climate Assessment. Efforts are underway to reduce the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a primary cause of global warming.

Simultaneously, steps are being taken to promote the coal industry, including ordering coal-fired power plants to continue operations (coal is notorious for generating significant greenhouse gas emissions). The administration is also attempting to reverse many of the Biden administration’s climate initiatives, including subsidies for electric vehicles.

According to preliminary findings from Rhodium Group, an independent research firm monitoring U.S. emissions, climate pollution in the United States is projected to rise by approximately 2.4% in 2025. This increase may not stem directly from President Trump’s policies, as many regulations are yet to be implemented. The rise is likely due to high natural gas prices, growth in energy-intensive data centers, and particularly cold winters.

Rhodium Group anticipates that U.S. emissions will eventually decrease as renewable energy sources become more economically feasible compared to fossil fuels. However, the expectation of emission reductions is now less optimistic than prior to Trump’s administration.

The greenhouse gases that trap heat are intensifying weather patterns, resulting in more extreme conditions and increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and flooding.

Last year emerged as the third-costliest year for weather-related disasters, an analysis by the nonprofit organization Climate Central revealed. In 2025, it was reported that 23 meteorological events inflicted damages surpassing $1 billion, resulting in 276 fatalities and $115 billion in total damages.

While greenhouse gas emissions remain the principal driver of rising global temperatures, natural fluctuations also contribute. La Niña patterns, characterized by colder-than-average water in the central Pacific, generally lead to lower global temperatures, while El Niño events can raise them.

Though the La Niña pattern emerged in late 2025, NOAA scientists expect a return to neutral conditions early this year.