2024 Set to Become Hottest Year on Record According to EU Scientists
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service projects that 2024 will be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures expected to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. This trend underscores the urgency for robust climate action at COP29. Rising temperatures are intensifying extreme weather events globally, highlighting the urgent need for stronger commitments to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Recent projections from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) indicate that 2024 is set to become the hottest year on record, eclipsing the already elevated temperatures of 2023. This forecast emerges as nations prepare for the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, a critical forum for discussions regarding substantial increases in climate funding. Data from C3S reveals that global temperatures from January to October reached extraordinary levels, making 2024’s record temperature almost certain unless a significant drop occurs in the remaining months of the year. Carlo Buontempo, the Director of C3S, directly links this unprecedented warmth to climate change, emphasizing that every continent and all ocean basins are experiencing rising temperatures. Notably, 2024 is projected to be the first year where global temperatures surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), marking a critical turning point since the onset of human-induced warming. The primary contributors to this alarming trend are carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. Sonia Seneviratne, a climate scientist at ETH Zurich, stressed the urgency for robust climate action at COP29, highlighting the necessity of departing from fossil fuels. She expressed concern that the pace of climate efforts remains inadequate to accomplish the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C, a target now likely to be surpassed by 2030 if current trajectories are maintained. The implications of escalating temperatures are already evident in the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Notable incidents in October include devastating flash floods in Spain, widespread wildfires in Peru, and significant flooding in Bangladesh, which resulted in the destruction of over one million tons of rice, thereby inflating food prices. In the United States, Hurricane Milton’s intensity was exacerbated by climate change patterns, highlighting the link between rising temperatures and extreme weather phenomena. The C3S data, in conjunction with historical records dating back to 1850, reinforces that the anticipated high temperatures of 2024 are part of a prolonged warming trend driven by human activity.
The alarming rise in global temperatures is a pressing issue underscored by recent scientific data, emphasizing the crucial intersection between climate change and extreme weather events. The analysis provided by the Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals not only a marked increase in temperatures but also the dire implications of this trend for both the environment and global society. As countries engage in crucial discussions at climate summits, the urgency of implementing effective climate action is paramount, particularly in light of the impending surpassing of established temperature thresholds that could have irreversible effects on ecosystems and human livelihoods.
The expected record warmth of 2024 represents a culmination of ongoing climate change and intensifies the urgency for enhanced climate commitments at platforms like COP29. As temperatures continue to rise due to human-driven carbon emissions, the detrimental impacts on weather patterns and food security are becoming increasingly severe. Immediate and decisive action is essential to redirect the course towards sustainable practices and to meet international climate targets, lest we face even greater environmental challenges in the future.
Original Source: maktoobmedia.com
