2024 marks the 1.5°C limit exceeded: WMO climate alarm

The World Meteorological Organisation highlights the devastating effects of global warming in its report, with 2024 as the hottest year on record. Greenhouse gas emissions at the highest level in 800,000 years and extreme events on the rise

Clear signs of human-induced climate change have reached new peaks in 2024, with some irreversible consequences for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. This is according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in its ‘State of Global Climate’ report, which highlights the economic and social disruptions caused by extreme weather conditions.

According to the report, 2024 was the first year to exceed the pre-industrial era by more than 1.5 °C, with a global average temperature of 1.55 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850-1900 average. It was also the warmest year ever recorded in the 175 years of observation.

‘Although a single year of warming above 1.5 °C does not mean that the goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call,’ said Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the WMO. ‘The risks to our lives, economies and the Planet are increasing.’

The report notes that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have reached their highest levels in 800,000 years, with 2023 marking a 2.3ppm increase over 2022, reaching 420ppm, or 151% of pre-industrial levels.

The last ten years have been among the warmest on record, and each of the last eight has set new records for ocean heat content. In particular, Arctic and Antarctic sea ice has reached its lowest extent in 18 years, with serious consequences for ecosystems and water security.

Extreme weather events in 2024 caused devastating damage globally, with the highest number of displacements since 2008, destroying infrastructure, homes and forests. Worsening food crises affected 18 countries, aggravated by conflicts, droughts and rising food prices.

The WMO report is an urgent warning to humanity: immediate action to limit future damage is now an urgent necessity.

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