Copernicus Climate Change Service releases concerning bulletins on global heating
Last month, the planet experienced the warmest January on record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Concerningly, the global mean temperature for the past 12 months has also exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.
Scientists attribute the exceptional temperature rises to the combined effects of El Nino – a natural phenomenon that accompanies a period of abnormal warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean – and climate change caused by anthropogenic activities.
Rapid reductions in emissions necessary to meet goals
The global average temperature in January was 1.66C above the January average for 1850-1900, considered the pre-industrial reference period. January 2024 recorded an average temperature of 13.14C, 0.12 degrees more than the previous warmest January in 2020.
The mean temperature for February 2023 to January 2024 remains the highest on record and 1.52C above the pre-industrial average. But this does not imply a permanent breach of the 1.5C limit specified in the Paris agreement, as it considers long-term warming over many years, reported The Hindu.
In 2015, countries agreed in Paris to limit the rise in global temperatures to well below 2C and preferably to 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels to avoid worsening climate impacts. But multiple reports suggest the world is significantly off track to managing the risks.
In order to meet the objectives, countries together need to cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, discussed the developments, highlighting the need for “rapid reductions” in emissions.
2023 is the hottest year on record: C3S confirms
Last month, researchers at the C3S confirmed 2023 as the warmest calendar year in global temperature data records going back to 1850. The year had a global average temperature of 14.98C, 0.17C higher than the previous highest annual value reported in 2016.
Last year recorded a large number of extreme events across the globe, including heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires. Estimated global wildfire carbon emissions in 2023 increased by 30% compared to the year before driven largely by persistent incidents in Canada.
