Climate crisis deepens with 2024 ‘certain’ to be hottest year on record
GuardianDec 08
Report: 2024 Set to Break Global Temperature Records, Exceeding +1.5°C
Above: A firefighting helicopter drops water in an effort to extinguish a wildfire in Sofiana village in Greece on Oct. 1, 2024. Image copyright: ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
The Copernicus Climate Change Service has reported that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the warmest year on record, with average global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
Global temperatures between January and November 2024 reached record levels, marking 16 consecutive months of record-breaking heat since June 2023.
The Spin
Narrative A
The current temperature rise represents a critical warning signal requiring immediate action, as the world remains drastically off-track from meeting Paris Agreement goals. Current climate policies could potentially lead to catastrophic warming of over 3°C, making ambitious emission reductions more urgent than ever.
Narrative B
A single year above 1.5°C does not necessarily indicate a breach of the Paris Agreement, as the threshold should be measured over decades, and natural phenomena like El Niño contribute to temperature variations, suggesting the need for longer-term analysis before drawing definitive conclusions.