The Copernicus Climate Change Service has declared 2024 is likely to be the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures projected to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This finding comes ahead of significant UN climate negotiations, emphasizing the need for urgent climate action as extreme weather events continue to escalate globally.
The European Union’s climate monitoring agency, Copernicus, has projected that 2024 is “virtually certain” to become the hottest year recorded, with global temperature increases expected to surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In their report issued on November 7, Copernicus emphasized the urgency of this milestone, coinciding with impending United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan aimed at advancing efforts to reduce carbon emissions. October 2023 witnessed extreme weather events, including severe flooding in Spain and Hurricane Milton in the United States, contributing to it being the second hottest October on record. Average global temperatures are now anticipated to exceed 1.55°C above pre-industrial averages from 1850 to 1900, although this does not violate the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature targets. The Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, Samantha Burgess, noted the significance of these findings, indicating that they should drive nations to increase their climate ambitions at the forthcoming COP29 conference. Global temperature surges are accompanied by alarming trends in climate change, including heightened concentrations of greenhouse gases. The UN forecasts that if the current pace of climate action continues, the world could experience a catastrophic rise of 3.1°C by century’s end. Scientists warn that the limit of 1.5°C is swiftly becoming unattainable, with each incremental increase in temperature incurring more severe consequences, including extreme weather patterns and intensified precipitation. October’s extreme weather, marked by above-average rainfall and ongoing drought across regions, illustrates the troubling impacts of climate change, further reflected in the recorded rise in average sea surface temperatures. In summary, Copernicus asserts that we are currently enduring one of the warmest periods in the Earth’s history, comparable to the climatic conditions before the last Ice Age.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service is a key agency within the European Union tasked with providing authoritative data on climate change trends. With increasing global temperatures resulting from human-induced climate change, the scientific community is closely monitoring these developments to inform and shape international climate policy. The impending COP29 conference underscores the urgency of concerted efforts to mitigate climate impacts, particularly in the face of extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and severe due to rising temperatures.
The alarming predictions for 2024 as the hottest year on record necessitate urgent action to combat climate change. The projected exceedance of 1.5°C highlights the critical need for international collaboration during climate discussions at COP29. As global warming leads to increasingly severe weather patterns and environmental disruptions, the situation underscores the importance of implementing robust climate measures to alter the trajectory toward a more sustainable future. The choice to act decisively now will shape the planet’s climate for generations to come.
Original Source: www.lemonde.fr
