Global temperature exceeds two-degree mark for the first time
Climate experts have measured another heat record: For the first time, the global average temperature is more than two degrees above the pre-industrial level between 1850 and 1900, raising concerns that the Paris climate targets will not be met.
On Friday, the global average temperature exceeded the pre-industrial seasonal average temperature by more than two degrees for the first time. According to the European Earth observation program Copernicus, citing preliminary data, the global average temperature on 17 November was 2.06 degrees above the usual seasonal average temperatures in the years 1850 to 1900.
"This is the first day on which the global temperature was more than two degrees higher," wrote Copernicus climate expert Samantha Burgess on the online service X (formerly Twitter). This finding fuels fears that the international community will not be able to meet the climate protection targets it has set itself. In the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, it was agreed to limit global warming to well below two degrees, but preferably 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial age.
However, this does not look at the warming on individual days, but rather the warming over several years. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that global warming must be determined over a 30-year period. Compared to the period from 1850 to 1900, the earth has already warmed by around 1.2 degrees. Climate change is leading to a global increase and intensification of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfall.
A number of heat records have already been measured this year. According to Copernicus, the months of June to October were the hottest worldwide since records began. In October, temperatures were 1.7 degrees above the October temperatures in the period 1850 to 1900. The European Earth Observation Program expects with "almost complete certainty" that global average temperatures in 2023 will exceed those of the previous record year 2016.
The acceleration of global warming and its consequences are putting pressure on the negotiating delegations at the World Climate Conference in Dubai (COP28). Measures to combat the climate crisis will be discussed there from November 30 to December 12.
- The Paris Climate Agreement, aimed at limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, may be jeopardized due to the global average temperature exceeding 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasizes the importance of considering global warming over a 30-year period, as climate change continues to cause an increase in extreme weather events such as heatwaves and heavy rainfall.
- Education about climate change and the importance of climate protection is crucial to raise awareness and encourage individuals and governments to take action against climate change, which is a pressing global issue necessitating urgent attention and measures.
Source: www.ntv.de
