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2024: Hottest Year on Record; Climate Concerns Rise
2024 is projected to be the warmest year on record, exceeding the 1.5°C pre-industrial warming threshold. Experts express concern about the lack of effective climate action, despite the alarming data.
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Germany Climate ChangeEuropean UnionClimateGlobal WarmingEmissionsTemperatureClimate Conference
Copernicus Climate Change ServiceUnGeomar Helmholtz Centre For Ocean Research KielUniversity Of OxfordPotsdam Institute For Climate Impact Research (Pik)
António GuterresSamantha BurgessMojib LatifSteve SmithAnders Levermann
- What data sources does Copernicus use for its climate analysis?
- Copernicus' data is based on computer-generated analyses of billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. These records date back to the mid-20th century, showing a significant temperature increase in recent years.
- What is the prediction for 2024's global average temperature according to Copernicus?
- The year 2024 is projected to be the warmest year on record, exceeding the pre-industrial average by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius for the first time. Copernicus Climate Change Service predicts a global average temperature at least 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
- What were the average air and ocean temperatures in October 2024, according to Copernicus?
- The October 2024 average air temperature was 15.25 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 average and 1.65 degrees above the pre-industrial average. Average ocean temperatures reached the second-highest October value ever recorded.
- What are the long-term consequences if CO2 emissions are not stopped, and what is the suggested course of action?
- Even if all CO2 emissions were stopped immediately, the Earth's climate system's inertia would still cause a further temperature increase of about half a degree in the following decades. The focus should shift to achieving net-zero emissions to prevent further warming and mitigate the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.
- What is the outlook for the COP29 climate conference, and what are the perspectives on the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold?
- While the data underscores the urgency of climate action, climate scientist Mojib Latif expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of the COP29 climate conference in achieving significant breakthroughs. He believes that the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold is already breached and that exceeding the 2-degree threshold is inevitable without drastic emission reductions.