2024 set to be Earth’s hottest year, climate data warns of 1.5°C rise

2024 is almost certain to be Earth’s hottest recorded year, surpassing 2023, due to ongoing global warming, says the European climate agency Copernicus.

For the first time, the planet’s temperature reached over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a key threshold in understanding global warming impacts.

Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo notes the persistent rise in global temperatures due to greenhouse gases, driving a pattern of record-breaking heat.

Events like El Niño and volcanic eruptions add to extreme heat years, but greenhouse gas emissions remain the main driver of ongoing warming.

Scientist Zeke Hausfather warns that today’s extreme El Niño heat may become the norm by the 2030s, if warming continues unaddressed.

Donald Trump’s re-election dampens optimism ahead of COP29, where nations will discuss funding for a global shift to clean energy sources.

The world’s 1.5°C warming target, set to avoid severe climate impacts, may soon be unattainable without major policy changes and emissions cuts.

Extreme events like floods, wildfires, and hurricanes worldwide show the worsening impacts of each fraction of a degree of global temperature rise.

Copernicus relies on billions of global data points to monitor temperatures, offering clear evidence for the need for urgent climate action.

Surpassing 1.5°C is “psychologically significant,” Buontempo says, as it underscores the urgency ahead of climate negotiations at COP29.

Buontempo emphasises that climate choices lie with each of us, shaping a world increasingly defined by global warming and its effects.