Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Earth experienced 12 consecutive months with temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than pre-industrial levels, a first in recorded history, according to Europe's climate monitor. Scientists have labelled this trend a "warning to humanity."
Climate change, amplified by the El Nino phenomenon, contributed to extreme weather events such as storms, droughts, and fires in 2023, making it likely the hottest year in 100,000 years, said a report by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that the period from February 2023 to January 2024 saw a temperature rise of 1.52 degrees Celsius above the 19th-century benchmark, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change.
Johan Rockstrom from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research highlighted the significant social and economic costs associated with surpassing the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold, including heat waves, droughts, floods, and heightened storm activity.
Recent months witnessed extreme weather events worldwide, including devastating droughts in the Amazon, unusually high winter temperatures in southern Europe, deadly wildfires in South America, and record rainfall in California, underscoring the urgency of climate action.
Despite scientific warnings and efforts to mitigate emissions, planet-heating emissions, primarily from fossil fuel burning, have continued to rise, exacerbating global warming. This trajectory could lead to surpassing critical temperature limits outlined in the Paris climate agreement.
The year 2023 saw unprecedented ocean dynamics, with record-breaking sea surface temperatures. Hotter oceans contribute to increased atmospheric moisture, leading to more erratic weather patterns such as fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
Scientists emphasize the urgent need to reduce global emissions to zero to avoid surpassing safety limits set by the Paris climate agreement. Failure to do so could result in irreversible damage to both natural systems and human societies.