The global climate crisis continues to escalate as data from the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring service reveals that the earth has experienced 12 straight months of record-breaking heat from June 2023 to May 2024. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for decisive action to mitigate the detrimental impacts of climate change.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has been vocal in calling out fossil fuel companies as major contributors to climate change. He has urged for a ban on advertising their products as part of a broader strategy to combat the escalating climate crisis.
Worryingly, it seems the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is slipping through our grasp. Since July 2023, each month has been at least 1.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial temperatures, exceeding the limit set by the Paris Agreement in 2015.
This unprecedented surge in global temperature is already having a profound impact on our lives. Devastating heatwaves are leading to fatalities, forcing schools to shut down, causing severe crop damage, and amplifying the intensity of destructive storms. These events serve as stark reminders of the severe impacts of climate change.
Guterres has been emphatic in his call for significant action. He advocates for drastic cuts in planet-heating pollution, an end to new coal projects, and an increase in funds for the most climate-vulnerable nations.
Carlo Buontempo, the director of Copernicus, echoes Guterres’ concerns. He warned that without a significant reduction in fossil fuel pollution, future months could make these record hot months seem comparatively cold.
The World Meteorological Organization adds to this grim forecast, estimating an 86% chance that at least one of the years between 2024 and 2028 will break the hottest-year record. This would push the world closer to breaching the long-term 1.5-degree limit under the Paris Agreement.
Despite global agreements and the growth of renewable energy, CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels hit a record high last year. This indicates a significant deviation from the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. It is clear that the world needs to make dramatic strides to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and ensure a livable future.
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