The year 2024 was confirmed as the first full year with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Each month was among the warmest on record, with significant impacts from climate disasters globally. While political will remains inconsistent, the urgent need for action to address emissions persists.
On January 10, scientists announced that 2024 marked the first complete year in which average global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This concerning milestone was reported by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). C3S Director Carlo Buontempo remarked on the extraordinary heated trajectory, noting that every month in 2024 recorded the warmest or second warmest temperatures relative to the same months in previous years. The average Earth temperature for 2024 was documented at 1.6 degrees Celsius higher than levels between 1850 and 1900, the period considered pre-industrial.
The data indicating this unprecedented temperature rise underscores the urgent challenges posed by climate change. Global temperatures have been steadily increasing, primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely resulting from human activities. The Paris Agreement established a target to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial levels in order to mitigate catastrophic climate impacts. Despite this, the past decade has witnessed increasingly severe weather events, highlighting the growing risks of climate change.
The confirmation of 2024 as the first year surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark is both alarming and a wake-up call for global leaders. While the possibility of reversing this worrying trend through rapid emissions reductions remains, the overshadowing impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident across the globe. It is crucial for nations to unite in their commitments under international agreements to avert further warming and mitigate the disastrous consequences of climate change.
Original Source: www.straitstimes.com
