The United Nations reported that climate change triggered extreme weather and unprecedented heat in 2024, making it the hottest year on record. Greenhouse gas emissions have also reached new highs, establishing conditions for future warming. Notable weather events this year included severe flooding, record temperatures, and devastating wildfires. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres underscored the necessity for immediate emission reductions and a transition to renewable energy.
In a recent statement, the United Nations has identified climate change as the catalyst for extreme weather events and unprecedented heat in 2024. The United Nations’ weather and climate agency disclosed that this year is projected to become the hottest on record, culminating a decade marked by extreme temperatures. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions reached new heights, embedding future warming, as reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
WMO secretary general Celeste Saulo emphasized the palpable effects of climate change, stating, “Climate change plays out before our eyes on an almost daily basis in the form of increased occurrence and impact of extreme weather events.” The year witnessed catastrophic rainfall and flooding, leading to significant casualties across various nations. Severe tropical cyclones, notably in Mayotte, inflicted devastating human and economic damages. In addition, various countries experienced scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, contributing to the occurrence of widespread wildfires.
Despite the commitments made in the 2015 Paris climate accords to restrain global warming below two degrees Celsius, the WMO noted that from January to September, the mean surface air temperature was already recorded at 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This trend signals that 2024 is likely to surpass the previous year’s mark, which was up by 1.45 degrees Celsius compared to the industrial revolution baseline.
The WMO is expected to release the final global temperature statistics for 2024 in January, with a comprehensive report set for March. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres remarked in his New Year address, “Today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024.” He further depicted the current situation as “climate breakdown in real time.”
Guterres urged the international community to shift from this damaging trajectory, stating, “We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose.” He highlighted that by 2025, it is crucial for nations to align with a safer environmental pathway by significantly reducing emissions and transitioning towards renewable energy sources.
The discourse surrounding climate change has intensified in recent years, emphasizing its significant impact on global weather patterns and temperature fluctuations. The United Nations and its allied organizations, such as the World Meteorological Organization, continue to monitor these changes, providing essential data and urging effective action to mitigate the effects of climate change. The Paris Climate Accord of 2015 has established benchmarks aimed at limiting global warming, yet recent trends have shown that these goals are increasingly difficult to achieve. As temperatures have escalated over the past decade, with 2024 poised to be a record year, the consequences of climate inaction have become alarmingly evident. The rising prevalence of extreme weather events, including floods, heat waves, and wildfires, has been linked directly to the continuing rise of greenhouse gas emissions, prompting global leaders and experts to call for urgent measures.
In conclusion, the ongoing ramifications of climate change, highlighted by the UN in 2024, paint a pressing picture of our planet’s future. With record-breaking temperatures and a surge in extreme weather events, it is imperative for nations to reduce emissions swiftly and transition toward sustainable solutions. The commitment to the Paris climate goals is more vital than ever, as reflected in the words of Secretary General Guterres, who emphasized the urgent need to divert from the current destructive trajectory.
Original Source: www.france24.com
