According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the world experienced the warmest January on record, marking a significant milestone as the global mean temperature breached the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold for an entire year for the first time.
Every month since June of the previous year has been the warmest on record, with scientists attributing this exceptional warming to the combined effects of El Niño and human-caused climate change.
The global average temperature for the past 12 months (February 2023-January 2024) was recorded as the highest on record, surpassing the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold by 0.02 degrees Celsius.
January 2024 alone saw a global average temperature of 1.66 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial reference period of 1850-1900. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, emphasized the urgency of rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to curb further temperature increases.
The alarming trend follows the warmest year on record in 2023, where the average global temperature rise approached the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold.
The World Meteorological Organisation has cautioned that 2024 could see further escalation, particularly as the impact of El Niño typically peaks after its onset. This concerning trajectory highlights the imperative for immediate action to mitigate climate change.
The Paris Agreement, ratified in 2015, aims to limit the global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with a preferred target of 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
However, long-term data reveals that the earth's global surface temperature has already risen by approximately 1.15 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
Without significant intervention, the world is on track for a temperature rise of around 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, countries must collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030.
The urgency of this task was underscored at the 28th UN climate conference in Dubai, where nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in a "just, orderly, and equitable manner" to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Climate finance will take center stage at this year's UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where nations will need to set new post-2025 targets for funding initiatives aimed at assisting developing nations in emissions reduction and climate adaptation efforts.
However, achieving this goal poses a challenge as wealthy nations have repeatedly fallen short of their 2009 pledge to raise USD 100 billion annually by 2020 to support developing countries in their climate action endeavors.
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