Climate Change Hits Record Heat: 2024 Expected to Exceed 1.5-Degree Threshold

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In a significant report, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with a projected average global temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This alarming shift indicates that the long-anticipated 1.5-degree mark established in the Paris Agreement—aimed at limiting global warming—is now likely to be surpassed for the first time.

According to Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo, data shows that the global average temperature has reached 15.1 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous year by 0.12 degrees. Extreme weather events, including dangerously high temperatures, storms, and devastating wildfires, have been rampant this year, intensifying the effects of climate change.

The report also indicated that July 22, 2024, saw a record high of 17.16 degrees Celsius, further intensifying concerns among climate scientists. Experts are emphasizing that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is imperative to prevent further temperature increases and avoid more frequent extreme weather crises.

While the report acknowledges the exceeding of the 1.5-degree threshold, Niklas Höhne from the NewClimate Institute clarified that the Paris Agreement aims to limit average temperature changes over a longer period of 20 years, making it unclear if the agreement's goals have been fundamentally breached. However, Andreas Fink of the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology stated that the 1.5-degree target is no longer achievable without significant advancements in CO2 extraction technologies and immediate emission reductions.

As climate-induced disasters become more frequent, the need for urgent action to combat global warming has never been more evident.

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