European Union scientists have issued a stark warning, revealing that 2023 is on course to be the warmest year in over 125,000 years, primarily driven by the continued release of greenhouse gases and the emergence of the El Nino weather pattern.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month witnessed an unprecedented spike in global temperatures, breaking the previous record by a staggering 0.4 degrees Celsius. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, described the anomaly as “very extreme,” emphasizing the severity of the situation.
The data, which spans back to 1940, has allowed researchers to conclude that the world has not experienced such intense heat since the pre-industrial period. Additionally, the impact of El Nino has exacerbated the overall warming trend, leading to successive record-breaking years such as 2016 and now 2023.
The situation is exacerbated by the findings from the United Nations Climate Science Panel (IPCC), incorporating data from various sources, including ice cores, tree rings, and coral deposits, revealing an unprecedented trend in temperature increase.
Experts express deep concerns about the implications of this phenomenon, particularly in light of the unprecedented environmental catastrophes witnessed globally in 2023.
Devastating floods in Libya, scorching heatwaves in South America, and Canada’s worst wildfire season on record serve as poignant reminders of the urgency of tackling climate change. Piers Forster, a climate scientist at the University of Leeds, urges immediate action, emphasizing the critical role of rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.
However, despite the growing momentum in setting ambitious emission reduction targets, global CO2 emissions hit an all-time high in 2022, underscoring the need for swift and decisive action at an international level.