India - November 21, 2023
The global average temperature surpassed a significant threshold on Friday, exceeding two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time, as reported by Europe's Copernicus climate monitor. The trend is anticipated to persist, making 2023 the hottest year on record, marked by intense heat, wildfires, and storms.
The news comes as a stark reminder of the urgency of the climate crisis. Scientists have long warned that exceeding two degrees Celsius of warming would have calamitous consequences, including more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and mass extinctions.
"This is a major milestone that we have crossed," said Dr. Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist with Stripe and Berkeley Earth. "It's a sign that the planet is warming at an unprecedented rate, and that we need to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is a flagship service of the European Commission, providing information on Europe's climate and its variability. C3S data is based on a combination of satellite observations, ground-based measurements, and model simulations.
According to C3S, the global average temperature on Friday was 2.03 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is the first time that the daily global temperature has exceeded two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for a sustained period of time.
The C3S data also shows that the global average temperature has been increasing steadily in recent decades. The last ten years have been the warmest on record, and the trend is expected to continue.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world. Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms, are becoming more frequent and severe. Sea levels are rising, and glaciers and ice sheets are melting.
The scientific consensus is clear: human activity is the primary cause of climate change. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which trap heat and warm the planet.
In order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero as soon as possible. This will require a global transition to clean energy and a major shift in the way we live and produce goods.
The news that the global average temperature has crossed two degrees Celsius is a wake-up call. We need to act now to protect our planet and future generations.
