Global temperatures have surpassed the 1.5°C threshold for a year, diverging from the Paris Agreement‘s long term goal.
This trend signals a movement towards exceeding the limit set to mitigate severe climate change impacts.
January 2024 was globally the warmest on record, with a 0.70°C anomaly compared to the 1991-2020 average, according to the EU’s climate service.
Scientists note that the average global sea surface temperature for January reached a record high.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), said: “2024 starts with another record-breaking month – not only is it the warmest January on record but we have also just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial reference period.
“Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.”
