Temperature records spanning a year - Twelfth consecutive hot month with no indication of a change coming.
In the past year, we've witnessed record-breaking temperatures each month, with the entire planet experiencing an accelerated rate of warming. Two recent reports on climate change show that this is a significant problem. May marked the twelfth consecutive month with a record-high global average temperature, as announced by the EU Climate Service Copernicus. Furthermore, human-induced global warming has intensified at a rate never recorded since the beginning of instrumental measurements, according to the "Indicators of Global Climate Change" (IGCC) report released this week.
From 2014 to 2023, the Earth's temperature rose by approximately 0.26 degrees due to human activities, as found by a team led by Piers Forster from the University of Leeds in the journal "Earth System Science Data." Ten years earlier, the temperature increased by about 0.20 degrees, as per the University.
It's important to note that natural climate events like the warming El Niño phenomenon have contributed to these record highs. The IGCC report explains that this increase is caused by both high greenhouse gas emissions and a decrease in the amount of cooling aerosols in the atmosphere. An example would be how the content of sulfate aerosols has significantly decreased due to a new regulation for cleaner ship fuel.
Despite interruptions in the series of record months, such as the expected decline of El Niño, the overall pattern of human-induced climate change remains unaltered. According to Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo, "Although this sequence of record months will eventually be interrupted, the overall pattern of climate change remains unchanged, and there is no sign of a change in this trend."
Compared to the pre-industrial period between 1850 and 1900, May was 1.52 degrees warmer, according to Copernicus data. The average global temperature for the past twelve months - from June 2023 to May 2024 - has also reached a record high, standing 1.63 degrees above the pre-industrial level.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency of the situation, calling for action once again: "We're breaking global temperature records and facing the consequences. It's the age of the climate crisis. It's time to mobilize, act, and deliver."
Although there's still a chance for humans to emit around 200 billion tons of CO2 before reaching a sustained global warming of 1.5 degrees, this number could range from 100 to 450 billion tons, as stated in the IGCC report. However, there are signs of progress. Emissions of CO2 have slowed down in the past decade compared to the 2000s, and the current decade may witness a reversal in this trend with the right decisions.
The IGCC report was launched in 2023, and it aims to fill the gap between major evaluations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Established in 2023 by a research team of 57 people from 42 institutions in 15 countries, it provides valuable insights on various aspects of climate change.
The Copernicus Climate Service of the European Union shares data on surface temperature, sea ice, and precipitation, relying on extensive computer analysis that incorporates measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. The data, which dates back to 1950, helps provide a clearer understanding of the current state of our planet's climate.
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The unusual temperature records seen globally could be linked to natural phenomena like El Niño, but human-induced climate change, as highlighted by the IGCC report, has significantly intensified the warming trends, leading to a temperature record break at the start of recordings in 2014. The El Niño phenomenon's impact on global temperatures may momentarily pause or decrease temperature records, but the overall trend of climate change remains unaffected, as suggested by Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo.
