Rabat – Global temperatures have reached an alarming milestone over the past two years, surpassing the 1.5°C mark above pre-industrial levels for the first time, according to an EU climate agency.
This threshold, which countries established under the 2015 Paris Agreement as a critical limit to avoid catastrophic climate impacts, is now within sight.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that 2024 has become the hottest year on record, overtaking 2023 and deepening concerns about humanity’s role in driving these changes.
While this does not mean that humankind has permanently breached the 1.5°C limit, the trend notes how dangerously close the world is to a climate tipping point.
Extreme weather leaves a costly toll
Unprecedented heat has fueled disasters across continents, leaving a trail of destruction and economic losses exceeding $300 billion.
In California, wildfires have wreaked havoc across the state, particularly in Los Angeles County this past week, destroying thousands of buildings and displacing tens of thousands of residents. President Joe Biden described these fires as the most devastating in the state’s history, calling them undeniable evidence of climate change.
Elsewhere, severe heat waves claimed over 1,300 lives in Saudi Arabia during the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage, while catastrophic flooding hit Europe and Africa. Asia and North America faced tropical storms with immense ferocity.
Oceans, which play a key role in regulating the planet’s climate, absorbed record levels of heat in 2024, threatening marine ecosystems and intensifying storms.
Scientists linked warmer seas to heavier rainfall, stronger cyclones, and unbearable humidity, creating what Copernicus officials described as “misery for millions.”
A grim warning for the planet
Samantha Burgess, deputy director at Copernicus, warned that the planet is on the brink of exceeding the 1.5°C threshold in a sustained way.
“Each year in the last decade is one of the ten warmest on record. We are now teetering on the edge of passing the 1.5ºC level defined in the Paris Agreement and the average of the last two years is already above this level,” she said.
Climate scientists warn that the 1.5°C limit, meant to be measured over decades, is nearing faster than anticipated.
Data from ice cores, tree rings, and other historical markers suggest Earth’s current temperatures are the highest in tens of thousands of years.
Beyond this point, scientists fear the climate could shift in unpredictable and irreversible ways.
What lies ahead
Although the El Niño weather pattern contributed to record-breaking heat in 2023, its conclusion in early 2024 has not slowed rising temperatures.
Scientists remain puzzled by the persistent warming, even as global weather patterns shift.
The UK weather service predicts 2025 will remain among the hottest years ever recorded.
At a UN climate summit in 2023, nations agreed to phase out fossil fuels, yet meaningful progress has stalled.
With deadlines approaching to reduce emissions, leaders face mounting pressure to deliver on their promises.
Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus, urged immediate action. “The future is in our hands – swift and decisive action can still alter the trajectory of our future climate,” he said.
The evidence is clearer than ever: humanity stands at a crossroads.
Without decisive steps to address the crisis, the planet faces a future marked by intensifying disasters and irreversible changes.
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