In 2024, the average temperature on the planet for the first time exceeded the mark of 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period. This is a serious signal about the aggravation of the climate crisis, informs Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) EU.
The annual temperature was 1.6°C higher than between 1850 and 1900, when fossil fuel use began. All months of 2024 were either the warmest or the second warmest on record. According to the Met Office, the average temperature for the year reached 1.53°C.
For the first time in history, the annual average temperature exceeded the threshold of 1.5°C set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, which is considered critical for preventing the worst effects of climate change. Climate change has already caused major disasters around the world.
“We can reverse this course, but time is running out. Temperatures rising to catastrophic levels can only be avoided if we act now.” – emphasized Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S.
Experts suggest that 2025 could also be one of the hottest on record, although temperatures likely won’t exceed 2024’s records due to the effects of La Niña. At the same time, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a new maximum — 422 parts per million. Scientists warn that exceeding the threshold of 1.5°C is only the beginning, and without urgent action, the scale of the climate crisis will only grow.
