There are so many warnings about the high temperatures of 2023 that the very entity that released this Thursday’s report spoke about a deafening cacophony of climate records.
The study by the World Meteorological Organization, the WMO, reveals that the temperature in 2023 should be 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels. This means this will be the hottest year on record by a large margin, replacing the previous record in 2016 of 1.2ºC above the pre-industrial average.
The WMO secretary general stated that greenhouse gas levels are at record levels. Global temperatures are at record levels.
Sea level rise and reduction in Antarctic sea ice are record highs.
The report was released in the week that leaders from around the world meet at the UN climate summit, COP28. And it could be another element of pressure on negotiations that should revolve around the gradual elimination of energy from fossil fuels and whether or not to comply with the Paris Agreement.
The main objective of the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 and signed by 196 countries, is to keep global warming well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, but seeking to limit the increase to 1.5°C – a threshold that scientists say, if crossed, could have disastrous consequences.
The WMO states that the data collected does not mean that the world will exceed the 1.5ºC limit. To achieve this, the heating level would need to be maintained for longer. But scientists warn that if nothing is done, the world is heading towards reaching this worrying mark.
Data from the European Union’s climate change service, Copernicus, showed that, for the first time, the world recorded a day with an average temperature 2°C above the pre-industrial era, on November 17th.
The United Nations Environment Program’s annual report also showed two weeks ago that in the most optimistic scenario, the probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C is just 14%. If effective action is not taken, the temperature rise could reach 2.9°C above pre-industrial levels.
This Thursday’s study (30) states that the increase of 1.4ºC has already brought a frightening preview of what it could mean to permanently exceed 1.5ºC.
Antarctic sea ice has reached its lowest winter maximum extent on record. Swiss glaciers have lost around 10% of their volume in the last two years.
And forest fires were recorded in Canada, Hawaii, southern Europe, storms in North Africa and Brazil, extreme events that left thousands dead.
Scientists say that natural phenomena such as El Niño, which warms the waters of the Pacific, explain part of the disasters, but emphasize that human action makes events more extreme and frequent. And they say next year could be worse, as the impacts of El Niño will likely peak and lead to higher temperatures in 2024.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
