Earth Breaches 1.5°C Warming Mark for First Time in 2024

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • Global temperatures in 2024 averaged 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels, marking the first calendar year to exceed the critical 1.5°C threshold established in the Paris Agreement.[1][2]
  • The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed on Friday that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with temperatures 0.12°C higher than the previous record set in 2023.[3]
  • Record-breaking temperatures persisted throughout 2024, with July 22 recorded as the hottest day in human history, reaching a global average temperature of 17.16°C.[4]
  • Atmospheric water vapor reached unprecedented levels last year — approximately 5% above the 1991-2020 average — which the Copernicus Climate Change Service stated had contributed to extreme weather events worldwide.[5][6]
  • The years from 2015 to 2024 now constitute the 10 warmest years in recorded history, with Europe witnessing extreme weather events — such as the Valencia floods — throughout 2024.[7][8]
  • Aside from the data on warming, Copernicus research also suggested that greenhouse gas concentrations hit new highs in 2024, with carbon dioxide reaching 422 ppm and methane at 1897 ppb.[3][5]

Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]BBC News, [3]Copernicus, [4]Guardian, [5]Earth.Org, [6]Axios, [7]FT and [8]EuroNews.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by New Scientist and Bloomberg. This single-year breach doesn't constitute a permanent violation of the Paris Agreement's long-term target, which is measured using a 20-year average. Natural annual variability, including El Niño, contributed to the record temperatures, which may decrease with La Niña conditions in the coming years.
  • Narrative B, as provided by FOX Weather. This record-breaking feat is a warning sign that climate action is insufficient and current policies are failing to protect the planet from dangerous warming levels. The unprecedented temperatures are already causing widespread devastation through extreme weather events, threatening millions of lives and livelihoods. While El Niño contributed to the warming, human-induced climate change remains the primary driver of the temperature increase.