The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has reported that 2024 is set to be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This marks a significant milestone as countries prepare for critical UN climate negotiations. The agency highlights the urgent need for action to confront rising temperatures and extreme weather impacts as every fraction of a degree has significant consequences.
A report from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has indicated that 2024 is on track to be recorded as the hottest year in history. Global temperatures are expected to exceed limits outlined in the Paris Agreement by over five years ahead of schedule. Amid recent climate catastrophes, including severe flooding in Spain and Hurricane Milton in the United States, current projections indicate that global average temperatures will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The Copernicus agency announced that warming would likely surpass 1.55 degrees Celsius compared to the average temperature from 1850 to 1900. Although this surpasses the 1.5-degree threshold, it does not directly contravene the Paris Agreement, which assesses temperature limits over multiple decades rather than individual years. “It is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first year of more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels,” stated Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The alarming trend in global temperatures coincides with significant political developments, such as the upcoming UN climate conference in Azerbaijan and developments in U.S. politics concerning climate policy. Average temperatures have surged, with significant repercussions for weather patterns, including increased rainfall in Europe, droughts in the U.S., and extreme weather events across the globe. Copernicus noted that average sea surface temperatures for October reached their second highest level on record. This report reinforces the urgency for global action against climate change, particularly at the forthcoming Climate Change Conference, COP29. Scientists caution that the 1.5C threshold will soon be unreachable, and every increment of temperature rise results in consequences that will exacerbate existing climate challenges. Copernicus employs extensive satellite and ground-based measurements dating back to 1940, complemented with historical climate data sources to better understand current global warming trends.
The ongoing climate emergency is characterized by extreme weather patterns and rising global temperatures that threaten ecosystems and human societies. Established in response to the growing awareness of climate change, the Paris Agreement aims to mitigate global temperature rise by limiting it to well below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, recent observations from climate monitoring agencies have led to concerns that these targets are increasingly at risk due to insufficient global action. The Copernicus Climate Change Service employs a wide array of data from different sources to provide accurate assessments of changing climate patterns and inform global climate negotiations.
In conclusion, the Copernicus Climate Change Service has underscored the pressing reality that 2024 is projected to be the hottest year on record, signaling a significant departure from the temperature goals established in the Paris Agreement. The perilous rise in global temperatures necessitates immediate and robust policy action from nations worldwide. As the UN climate talks approach, the findings serve as a clarion call for heightened ambition and urgency in addressing climate change.
Original Source: www.france24.com
