By Abdullahi Lukman
A new report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed that 2025 was the third hottest year ever recorded, marking the first time a three-year period has exceeded the 1.5°C global warming threshold.
The report warns that if current warming trends continue, the 1.5°C limit is likely to be breached by the end of 2030, more than a decade earlier than previously projected.
Global land temperatures in 2025 were the second highest on record, while Antarctica experienced its warmest annual temperatures.
According to the findings, the rise in temperatures was largely driven by the continued build-up of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel emissions and the reduced ability of natural carbon sinks to absorb carbon dioxide, reinforcing calls for an accelerated phaseout of fossil fuels.
The impacts of rising temperatures were already evident early in 2026, with wildfires hitting parts of Australia and Argentina, severe snowstorms disrupting Europe, floods inundating Indonesia and extreme weather affecting South Africa.
Savio Carvalho, Managing Director for Campaigns and Networks at 350.org, said extreme weather events are no longer isolated, warning that climate impacts are increasingly driving up food prices, insurance costs and water shortages worldwide.
He criticised governments for delaying the transition away from fossil fuels despite the availability of renewable energy solutions.
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Programme Manager for the Pacific and Caribbean, said surpassing the 1.5°C threshold would have devastating consequences for vulnerable regions.
He noted that climate disasters are already costing Pacific nations billions of dollars and forcing the relocation of entire communities, particularly in low-lying island states.
Indonesia was among the countries worst affected by climate-related disasters in 2025. More than 1,100 people died in Sumatra after a rare tropical cyclone triggered flash floods, while 18 were killed in Bali during the island’s worst flooding in decades.
Some victims, including a 350.org organiser, have filed a lawsuit against the Indonesian government following an International Court of Justice ruling on state responsibility for climate-related harm.
Suriadi Darmoko, a 350.org organiser and plaintiff in the Bali case, said affected communities continue to struggle with loss and displacement, adding that governments must honour commitments to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C and urgently phase out fossil fuels.
