1 week ago
7
November 8, 2024 | 03:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - This year is "virtually certain" to eclipse 2023 as the world's warmest since records began, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday.
The data was released ahead of next week's U.N. COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, where countries will try to agree on a huge increase in funding to tackle climate change. Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election has dampened expectations for the talks.
C3S said that from January to October, the average global temperature had been so high that 2024 was sure to be the world's hottest year - unless the temperature anomaly in the rest of the year plunged to near zero.
“The fundamental, underpinning cause of this year's record is climate change,” C3S Director Carlo Buontempo told Reuters.
“The climate is warming, generally. It's warming in all continents, in all ocean basins. So we are bound to see those records being broken,” he said.
The scientists said 2024 will also be the first year in which the planet is more than 1.5C hotter than in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale.
Carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas are the main cause of global warming.
Sonia Seneviratne, a climate scientist at public research university ETH Zurich, said she was not surprised by the milestone, and urged governments at COP29 to agree stronger action to wean their economies off CO2-emitting fossil fuels.
“The limits that were set in the Paris Agreement are starting to crumble given the too-slow pace of climate action across the world,” Seneviratne said.
Countries agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to prevent global warming surpassing 1.5C (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), to avoid its worst consequences.
The world has not breached that target - which refers to an average global temperature of 1.5C over decades - but C3S now expects the world to exceed the Paris goal around 2030.
“It's basically around the corner now,” Buontempo said.
Every fraction of temperature increase fuels extreme weather.
In October, catastrophic flash floods killed hundreds of people in Spain, record wildfires tore through Peru, and flooding in Bangladesh destroyed more than 1 million tons of rice, sending food prices skyrocketing. In the U.S., Hurricane Milton was also worsened by human-caused climate change.
C3S' records go back to 1940, which are cross-checked with global temperature records going back to 1850.
REUTERS
Editor’s Choice: Worst Drought in the Amazon River Affecting the Ecosystem, the Lowest Water Level in History
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
BMKG Urges Citizens to Prepare for Extreme Weather, Hydrometeorological Disasters
1 hari lalu
BMKG has called on the public to stay vigilant and prepared for the impending threat of extreme weather and potential hydrometeorological disasters.
Indonesia, France, and EU Join Forces to Accelerate Indonesia's Green Energy Transition
2 hari lalu
Indonesia, France, and the European Union strengthened their partnership to rev Indonesia's energy transition towards a more sustainable future.
Australia Has Already Warmed by More Than 1.5 Degrees
8 hari lalu
Australia has warmed by 1.51 degrees Celsius since 1910, according to new State of Climate 2024 report. What does this mean for our climate future?
Spain's Deadliest Floods in Decades Kill at Least 64 People
8 hari lalu
At least 64 people have been killed in the deadliest flooding to hit Spain for three decades.
Prabowo Taps Hashim Djojohadikusumo as Head of Delegation at COP 29
9 hari lalu
Hashim Djojohadikusumo will be accompanied by the Forestry Minister, Environment Minister, and Deputy Minister of Finance.
BMKG Explains Cause of Rising Temperature in South Sumatra Today
9 hari lalu
BMKG says the temperature in South Sumatra reached 35-36 degrees Celsius today.
France Mulls Raising Fees for Non-EU Tourists at Iconic Sites
10 hari lalu
France plans to impose higher entrance fees on non-European Union visitors to iconic tourist sites, including the Louvre and Notre Dame.
Sahara Flood: A Blessing or Disaster? Here's the Explanation
10 hari lalu
Sahara Desert is recognized as one of the driest places on Earth. But unusually heavy rain causes flooding in the region. Here's a brief explanation.
The Bogus Commitment to Safeguarding Biodiversity
14 hari lalu
There is an increasingly real threat to Indonesia's biodiversity. It cannot be overcome through empty slogans at international forums.
European Union Leaders Set Course for Tougher Policy to Send Back Irregular Migrants
20 hari lalu
European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to use all their leverage to speed up returns of migrants illegally entering the bloc.
