The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially declared 2023 as the hottest year on record, breaking global temperature records by a substantial margin.
The annual average global temperature soared close to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a significant deviation considering the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting long-term temperature increases to the same extent. Remarkably, the agreement calculates long-term increases as an average over decades, contrasting with the individual year focus on 2023.
Global temperatures broke new records every month between June and December, with July and August marking the hottest months ever recorded, according to a statement from the UN agency. The WMO specifically determined that the annual average global temperature exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1.45 degrees Celsius, consolidating data from six leading datasets, including those from NASA, NOAA, and meteorological agencies in the UK, Europe, and Japan.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change, stating that humanity must take immediate and drastic measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy sources. Saulo noted that the global temperature rise in 2023 reflected a shift from the cooling effects of La Nina to the warming effects of El Nino.
Anticipating the future, Saulo expressed concerns that 2024 could be even hotter, given the typical impact of El Nino on global temperatures after its peak. While El Nino events naturally occur and fluctuate annually, Saulo highlighted that longer-term climate change is escalating due to human activities.
Saulo emphasised the interconnectedness of the climate crisis with broader challenges, exacerbating inequality and undermining efforts in sustainable development, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation. The WMO underscored that climate indicators have been consistently worsening since the 1980s, with each decade getting progressively warmer.
The statement outlined various climate change indicators, including atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat and acidification, sea levels, sea ice extent, and glacier mass balance, all of which shattered previous records. The WMO emphasized the tangible impacts of these changes on daily weather patterns, leading to extreme heat, health issues, devastating wildfires, intense rainfall, floods, and cyclones with severe consequences.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that 2023 offered a preview of a catastrophic future unless immediate and ambitious action is taken to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and ensure climate justice. The WMO is set to release its final State of the Global Climate 2023 report in March 2024, providing details on socioeconomic impacts on food security, displacement, and health.