Climate change: 2024 brings record temperatures – red alert for COP29!

Climate change: 2024 brings record temperatures – red alert for COP29!

Alarming news from climate research! The year 2024 will be the first year in which the global average temperature is more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is reported by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and warns that the Earth has reached a new temperature record. These shocking findings come just days before crucial United Nations climate negotiations.

“2024 is expected to be more than 1.55 degrees Celsius above the 1850 to 1900 average,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S. This is a clear wake-up call to increase ambition for the upcoming COP29 climate conference. The world is at a turning point and time is running out to take action to reduce climate-damaging emissions. UN negotiations in Azerbaijan next week could be crucial in setting new, much-needed targets to reduce carbon emissions.

Catastrophic weather events

October 2023 was the second highest October on record, marked by devastating floods in Spain and Hurricane Milton in the United States. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern: “Humanity is burning the planet and paying the price.” He pointed out the devastating consequences of natural disasters that have occurred around the world this year. “Behind each of these headlines is human suffering, economic and ecological devastation, and political failure.”

The scientific forecasts are bleak: if we stay on current course, the Earth could become a catastrophic 3.1 degrees Celsius warmer by the end of this century. Even if all existing climate commitments are fully implemented, this would still result in an alarming increase of 2.6 degrees Celsius. The time for effective action is running out and the global community faces a crucial challenge to stop global warming.