2024 Is Officially the Hottest Year on Record

Earth Surpasses 1.5 Degrees C in Hottest Year on Record

By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser

In a historic milestone, 2024 has been officially declared the hottest year on record, surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. This alarming trend signifies a significant shift in global climate patterns due to continuous fossil fuel emissions.

Carlo Buontempo, the director of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), stated that all major global temperature datasets confirm 2024 as the hottest year since records began in 1850.

With a temperature rise of 1.6 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels, 2024 exceeded the previous record set in 2023 by a substantial margin. This marks a concerning trend as all of the top 10 hottest years on record have occurred within the last decade, according to C3S data.

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Under the Paris climate agreement, nations pledged to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius and “well under” two degrees Celsius. While this threshold has not been breached yet, recent trends indicate that urgent action is needed to curb escalating temperatures.

While natural climate phenomena like El Niño have contributed to recent temperature spikes, the primary driver of global warming remains the greenhouse effect caused by escalating levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The World Meteorological Organization reported that carbon dioxide levels reached a record high of 420 parts per million in 2023, compared to preindustrial levels of around 280 ppm.

Addressing the climate crisis and preventing climate-related disasters necessitates immediate and substantial reductions in global emissions. Buontempo emphasized the urgency of taking decisive action to alter the course of future climate outcomes.

Despite the onset of La Niña, a climate pattern characterized by cooler Pacific Ocean waters, experts project that 2025 will rank among the top three hottest years on record. This underscores the persistent threat of climate change and the need for comprehensive mitigation strategies.

While renewable energy adoption has accelerated in recent years, the surge in energy demand has offset emission reduction efforts. Additionally, political shifts in the U.S. towards increased fossil fuel production pose challenges to sustaining progress in emissions reduction.

Although 2025 may not surpass the record set in 2024, the forecast predicts it to be one of the hottest years on record. This highlights the pressing need for global cooperation and swift action to combat the escalating impacts of climate change.

Adam Scaife of the U.K.’s Met Office emphasized the significant shift in climate trends, with 2016, the previous record year, now appearing relatively cooler in comparison to the projected temperatures for 2025.