By Abdullahi Lukman
Global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5°C threshold for 21 of the past 22 months, sparking growing concerns that Earth may soon breach the key limit set by the Paris Agreement.
According to the European earth observation service Copernicus, April 2025 was the second warmest April on record, with temperatures averaging 14.96°C—1.51°C above pre-industrial levels and just 0.07°C shy of the record set in April 2024.
The data shows that the global average temperature over the 12 months ending in April was 1.58°C above the pre-industrial baseline.
Despite efforts to combat climate change, the continued rise in global temperatures signals setbacks in the fight against global warming, fueled by greenhouse gas emissions and increasing political pressures on governments worldwide.
Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries committed to limiting the global temperature rise to well below 2°C, with an ideal target of 1.5°C.
However, while the agreement’s measurements focus on long-term trends over several decades, scientists warn that the persistent heat seen over the past two years makes it increasingly likely that Earth will breach the 1.5°C target sooner than expected.
Professor Richard Allan, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, explained that the ongoing record-breaking heat signals a shift toward more frequent and extreme weather events, including hot spells, heavy rainfall, and droughts.
He stressed that urgent and widespread reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors are crucial to limiting the global temperature rise to 2°C.
The warmer conditions were particularly felt across eastern Europe, parts of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Australia, while areas like the Alps, the Midwest USA, northern Australia, and South America experienced unusually wet conditions that led to floods, landslides, and other damages.
Scientists had hoped that the La Niña weather phenomenon, which emerged earlier this year, would help cool the planet.
However, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported in April that La Niña ended prematurely, with the tropical Pacific now in neutral conditions.
In a related warning, UN climate chief Simon Stiell highlighted that the world is on track to experience a 3°C temperature rise by the end of the century, far exceeding the targets set in Paris.
Speaking at a pre-COP30 summit in Copenhagen, Stiell emphasized that without the Paris Agreement, global temperatures could have risen by as much as 5°C, with devastating environmental and human consequences.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency revealed that methane emissions, primarily from fossil fuel production, were nearing all-time highs in 2024.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide and is considered a critical target for near-term emissions reduction.
The escalating temperature rise, combined with high methane levels, underscores the urgent need for more aggressive action to mitigate climate change and prevent the worst impacts of global warming.