2023 Set to Be the Hottest Year Recorded in History

Scientists have confirmed that 2023 is on track to become the hottest year ever recorded, making headlines just ahead of COP28 in the UAE. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global temperature for the year is currently 1.43°C above the pre-industrial average.

The urgency for bold climate action has never been higher as COP28 approach, emphasized Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of the service. The record-breaking heat, driven by human-induced climate change, has already resulted in extreme weather events, causing suffering and displacements globally.

The latest data reveals that October 2023 was the hottest October on record, with temperatures 1.7°C above the late 1800s average. Human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have contributed to a 1.2°C rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution.

Despite the commitments made in the Paris Agreement eight years ago to limit warming to 1.5°C, current policies are projected to push temperatures up by about 2.4°C by the end of the century. Scientists attribute the unprecedented heat to a combination of factors, including increased greenhouse gas emissions, El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and changes in pollution levels.

The record temperatures highlight the urgent need for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors to mitigate the impact of climate change.