According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2024 is highly likely to be the warmest year on record and to breach the 1.5 degree Celsius limit outlined in the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree Celsius target refers to limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the global average temperature in pre-industrial times. This target was established by scientists to limit catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Many countries have set climate targets, including net-zero emissions goals, to reduce emissions by 2050 as outlined by the Paris Agreement. But scientists now warn we are on track to breach the 1.5 degree Celsius limit for 2024, the first time this has happened for a calendar year.
However, Earth has already experienced a global average temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times for 12 consecutive months. From February 2023 through Jan 2024, the temperature was 1.52 degrees Celsius higher than the …