Last year was the warmest in the last 175 years: why this is dangerous
Kyiv • UNN
According to the WMO report, 2024 was the warmest, exceeding the pre-industrial level by 1.55°C. CO2 concentration reached its highest level in 800,000 years, and glacier melting accelerated.
The World Meteorological Organization in a special report on the state of the global climate confirmed that 2024 was likely the first calendar year to be more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era, with a global average surface temperature of 1.55 ± 0.13°C above the average temperature of 1850-1900. Thus, it is the warmest year in 175 years of observations, writes UNN with reference to WMO.
The main WMO report showed that:
• the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached its highest level in the last 800,000 years;
• every tenth year in the world separately was the warmest year in history;
• each of the last eight years has set a new record for ocean heat content;
• the 18 lowest recorded areas of Arctic sea ice were in the last 18 years;
• the three lowest ice areas in Antarctica were in the last three years;
• the largest three-year loss of glacier mass in history occurred in the last three years;
• the rate of sea level rise has doubled since the beginning of satellite measurements.
Our planet is sending more and more distress signals, but this report shows that limiting the long-term increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible
He added that leaders of countries should step up, taking advantage of cheap, clean renewable energy sources for their citizens and economies. This can be implemented through new national climate plans to be presented this year.
Although one year of warming above 1.5°C does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are unattainable, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and planet
The WMO team of international experts continues to study the situation to ensure consistent, reliable tracking of long-term changes in global temperature, which will be consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Supplement
Extreme heat last year, including typhoons and floods, led to the largest displacement of people since 2008. It also exacerbated the food crisis.
In Brazil, a new four-lane highway is being built to the city of Belém, where the COP30 climate summit will take place. At the same time, the highway cuts through tens of thousands of hectares of protected Amazon rainforest.
