Last year was officially the hottest year in recorded history, European climate scientists announced Friday morning.
It was also the first calendar year in which global temperatures averaged more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above their pre-industrial levels — a grim milestone on the planet’s climate trajectory. The Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal centers on keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Scientists widely agree the target of 1.5 degrees refers to a long-term temperature average, spanning at least a decade or two, and that a single year doesn’t necessarily mean the threshold officially has been breached.
But the news does suggest an overshoot is likely imminent. And the analysis found the two-year average across 2024 and 2023 combined also falls above the 1.5C threshold, making it more likely that a new trend is emerging.
