Global average temperatures in 2024 surged 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Following record highs in the previous year, various climate indicators broke records.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported Wednesday that 2024 recorded the highest global average temperature in 175 years, approximately 1.55 degrees higher than the pre-industrial period (1850-1900).
The report highlighted that multiple indicators of human-induced climate change have peaked, suggesting 2024 could be the first full year to exceed 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
At COP21 in 2015, the international community set a goal to keep global temperature increases below 2 degrees Celsius while striving to limit them to 1.5 degrees. Last year’s breach of this threshold marks a major setback.
The report noted that carbon dioxide concentrations, the primary greenhouse gas, reached their highest level in 175 years of observations, the highest in 800,000 years. The past decade has been the hottest on record. Ocean heat content, which measures total thermal energy in the oceans, has reached record highs yearly since 2017. Rising sea temperatures have led to shrinking sea ice and accelerating sea-level rise. Arctic sea ice has hit record lows for 18 consecutive years, while Antarctic sea ice has reached record lows for the past three years. The rate of sea-level rise has doubled since satellite monitoring began.
The WMO attributes the extreme temperatures of 2023-2024 primarily to greenhouse gas emissions and the transition from La Niña to El Niño.
However, the WMO stresses that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree limit is a long-term goal. Despite last year’s breach, the organization urges continued climate management efforts.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated, “Achieving long-term warming mitigation goals remains possible,” adding that last year’s events warned of escalating risks to our planet.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres elaborated that while the Earth sends more urgent crisis signals, limiting long-term global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still within reach. He called on world leaders to prioritize clean, renewable energy.
Climate change is already severely impacting human lives. Last year, tropical cyclones, floods, and droughts caused the highest number of newly displaced persons in 16 years. Eighteen countries are facing worsening food crises.
The WMO urged the global community to enhance early warning systems and climate services, stressing the need for greater preparedness against extreme weather events.
