Sign up to receive free updates on Climate change!
Get a daily email, myFT Daily Digest, summarizing the latest Climate change news each morning.
July broke the record for the hottest month ever recorded, surpassing the previous high set in 2019 by 0.3C, according to the European earth observation agency.
Scientists at the agency revealed that the average global temperature in July was approximately 1.5C warmer than the pre-industrial period from 1850 to 1900, before human-induced climate change began to impact the planet.
This assessment confirms earlier predictions by researchers from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, who anticipated that July temperatures would exceed all previous records.
“These records have severe consequences for both humanity and the environment, as we experience increasingly frequent and intense extreme events,” stated Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus.
So far, 2023 ranks as the third-warmest year on record and may surpass 2016 as the hottest year ever, according to Copernicus.
Burgess emphasized the need for ambitious efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main driving force behind these record temperatures.
A temporary rise of 1.5C in the average global temperature is distinct from the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5C by 2100. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures have already risen by at least 1.1C on a long-term basis.
However, this year’s report from the IPCC indicates that the risks of warming are greater than previously thought, and we could reach the 1.5C threshold in the near future. At that point, irreversible changes to the planet are expected.
In its recent report, Copernicus also highlighted record-high global average sea surface temperatures in July, as well as the lowest-ever extent of Antarctic sea ice for that month.
In July, simultaneous heatwaves and record-breaking floods affected large areas of the US, Europe, and Asia. Scientists warn that such extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense with each incremental degree of warming.
The developing El Niño weather phenomenon, associated with the warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface, is also predicted to raise temperatures in the coming months.
Climate Capital
Discover the intersection of climate change, business, markets, and politics. Explore the FT’s comprehensive coverage here.
Curious about the FT’s environmental sustainability commitments? Learn more about our science-based targets here.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
