As COP29 commences in Baku, Azerbaijan, a major report reveals that 2024 is set to become the hottest year on record, underscoring the growing urgency for global climate action.
The World Meteorological Organization published its State of the Climate 2024 Update on Monday, coinciding with the opening day of the climate summit.
The WMO report pointed out that the sustained trend of record-breaking temperatures reflects both the relentless acceleration of climate change and its widespread impacts on communities and ecosystems.
COP29, which kicked off on November 11 and will conclude on November 22, was opened with a call to action by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.
He emphasized the critical need to uphold climate targets, saying, “We mustn’t let 1.5 slip out of reach. Even as temperatures rise, the implementation of our agreements must claw them back.”
The UN report also highlights the surging global investments in clean energy, which are expected to reach $2 trillion in 2024—nearly double the funds channeled into fossil fuels. Stiell underscored that “the shift to clean energy and climate resilience will not be stopped,” urging the need to accelerate this transition and ensure its benefits are broadly shared.
Driven by a powerful El Niño event, global temperatures from January to September 2024 were 1.54°C higher than pre-industrial levels.
An El Niño is a natural phenomenon caused by abnormally high sea temperatures in the Pacific, disrupting global weather patterns, while its opposite, La Niña, brings cooler sea surface temperatures.
WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, warned of the implications of even slight temperature increases, stating, “Every fraction of a degree of warming matters. Whether below or above 1.5°C, each additional increment of global warming increases climate extremes, impacts, and risks.”
Saulo cautioned that while temporary spikes might push temperatures above the 1.5°C mark set in the Paris Agreement, these fluctuations are often linked to short-term climate phenomena like El Niño and La Niña and should not be mistaken for sustained global temperature increases.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the grave implications of current climate shifts, saying, “Climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, harming sustainable development, and shaking the foundations of peace the vulnerable are hardest hit.”
The last decade, from 2015 to 2024, has been the hottest on record, with rapid glacier melting, warming oceans, and extreme weather causing unprecedented economic and social disruptions worldwide.
The WMO reports that in 2024, ocean heat content remains at a record high, matching last year’s levels.
Oceans, which absorb 90% of the excess heat generated by climate change, accumulated an average of approximately 3.1 million terawatt-hours annually between 2005 and 2023.
This warming trend is irreversible for centuries to millennia, according to the WMO, which also notes that global sea levels have been rising faster than ever, averaging 4.77 mm per year from 2014 to 2023—double the rate seen from 1993 to 2002.
The WMO report also details rapid glacier loss, recording an average glacier reduction of 1.2 meters of water equivalent in 2023. Switzerland, for example, has lost 10% of its glacier volume over the past two years.
Meanwhile, sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic has declined drastically, with the Antarctic experiencing its second-lowest ice extent since satellite monitoring began in 1979.
In describing the extreme conditions of 2024, Saulo highlighted, “record-breaking rainfall and flooding, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, relentless drought, and raging wildfires,” all of which are growing in intensity and frequency, outpacing global adaptation efforts.
The WMO stressed the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions while bolstering climate resilience through adaptation measures, such as climate data services and early warning systems for vulnerable regions.
Saulo reiterated the importance of ongoing climate monitoring to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals, “To support this, the WMO has established an international team of experts, with initial indications that long-term global warming is likely to be around 1.3°C compared to the 1850-1900 baseline.”
The report issues a stark reminder to policymakers: the persistent warming trend endangers global stability and human well-being, creating a critical imperative for action.
In light of the hottest decade on record, the WMO advocates for an immediate, concerted effort to reduce emissions, improve climate adaptation measures, and better prepare communities for the inevitable challenges posed by a warming world.
Since 1993, the WMO has released annual State of the Global Climate reports, and since 2016, it has provided preliminary data for each year’s UNFCCC COP sessions.
The 2024 report, drawing on data from multiple global datasets, underscores the significance of consistent and comprehensive climate tracking to gauge progress toward international climate commitments.
As world leaders gather in Baku, the message is clear: humanity must seize this pivotal moment to address the climate crisis, for the sake of the planet and future generations.
