Last 2 Years Crossed 1.5C Global Warming Limit: EU Monitor

In a stark reflection of the accelerating climate crisis, the last two years have surpassed an essential global warming benchmark, reaching a realm of heat “beyond what modern humans have ever experienced,” according to a European climate agency.

The achievement of these warmer temperatures does not irreversibly breach the globally agreed 1.5 degrees Celsius limit but indicates a dangerously close approach, revealed the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

2024 has been assessed as the hottest year recorded, overtaking 2023, marking yet another phase of remarkable heat that has propelled climate extremes across the world.

Although there are no anticipations for another record-breaking year in 2025, it is highly anticipated that the year will still be ranked among the top three warmest years history has documented.

The consequences of this heat overload have intensified extreme weather events worldwide. In 2024, numerous regions, including Spain, Kenya, the United States, and Nepal, were plagued by disasters, accumulating costs exceeding $300 billion by some estimates.

Notable incidents include the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, which have obliterated thousands of buildings and displaced tens of thousands of people from their residences. Highlighting these occurrences, US leadership referred to the fires as the most “devastating” experienced by California, illustrating the pressing reality of climate change.

Copernicus elaborates that prolonged, unprecedented warming positioned average temperatures over 2023 and 2024 at over 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.

The significance of the 2015 Paris Agreement, where nearly 200 countries concurred that adhering to the 1.5C limit presents the optimal opportunity to circumvent the gravest outcomes of climate change, has never been more apparent. Nevertheless, current global initiatives sorely lack alignment with this target.

Expressing the current perilous proximity to the 1.5C threshold, the Copernicus climate department emphasized the repercussions of exceeding this limit, even briefly, as an indicator of the unprecedented transformations induced by human activity.

Every increment beyond the 1.5C is critical, according to scientists, with potential shifts in climate that may prove difficult to forecast.

Presently, climate change driven by humans exacerbates the frequency and intensity of droughts, storms, floods, and heatwaves.

In 2024, the world witnessed tragic events, including the deaths of 1,300 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat, ferocious tropical storms spanning across Asia and North America, as well as unprecedented flooding in Europe and Africa.

The oceans, key moderators of the climate as they absorb 90 percent of the additional heat generated by greenhouse gases, achieved record warmth in 2024, placing excessive stress on marine ecosystems and contributing to intense weather patterns.

Increased ocean temperatures lead to higher evaporation rates, boosting atmospheric moisture. This results in heavier rainfall, hurricanes gaining energy, and instances of intolerable humidity.

With atmospheric water vapor reaching unprecedented levels in 2024, combined with rising temperatures, there were floods, heatwaves, and significant distress impacting millions globally.

Leading experts have underscored hitting the 1.5C mark as an alarming signal. Observing these conditions in reality offers a firsthand glimpse into a 1.5C world, bringing unparalleled suffering and financial losses to the global economy.

An added factor contributing to the thermal peak was the emergence of the warming El Niño phenomenon in 2023. However, even upon its conclusion in early 2024, the temperatures remained historically elevated, leaving experts confounded.

While a potential transition to the opposite La Niña event was speculated for the months ahead, predictions indicate it may not be forceful or long-lasting enough to significantly cool global temperatures.

The opportunity to influence climate trajectory remains, encouraging proactive efforts and swift, decisive actions to sculpt a sustainable future.

Despite commitments to transition from fossil fuels at a previous UN summit in 2023, the subsequent discussions in November grappled with defining strategies to significantly cut emissions responsible for heat retention.