By Faridat Salifu
In an unprecedented announcement made on Friday, January 12, 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed that 2023 has indisputably shattered the global temperature record, surpassing previous highs by a considerable margin.
The annual average global temperature is rapidly approaching the critical threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, marking a
historic milestone in the ongoing challenge of climate change.
The UN weather agency meticulously monitored global temperatures using six prominent international datasets, disclosing a notable new annual temperature average of 1.45°C when compared against the pre-industrial era (1850-1900).
Setting a new record each month from June to December, with July and August emerging as the hottest months ever recorded, the WMO highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change.
The 1.5°C benchmark, established in the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, signifies a critical long-term temperature increase averaged over decades.
The monumental achievement of 2023 underscores the pressing need for immediate and resolute action to mitigate the comprehensive impact of climate change on all segments of humanity, especially the most vulnerable.
Prof. Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General, emphasized the imperative need for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the rapid transition to renewable energy sources.
Looking ahead, the WMO anticipates 2024 to potentially surpass 2023’s record-breaking temperatures, as the cooling La Niña phenomenon gives way to a warming El Niño, signaling a formidable impact on global temperatures.
Saulo stressed that while El Niño events are naturally occurring, the escalating longer-term climate change is unequivocally attributable to human activities.
The replacement of the cooling La Niña with warming El Niño raises concerns for the future, as 2023 serves as an ominous preview of the catastrophic trajectory humanity faces without immediate and collective action.
António Guterres, UN Chief, echoed the imperative call for action in response to the latest data, emphasizing the urgency of limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
This imperative step requires ambitious measures, the delivery of climate justice, and the foresight to pivot toward a sustainable future.
In conclusion, the WMO’s provisional State of the Global Climate in 2023 report, published on 30 November, underscored that records were broken across the board, emphasizing the grave urgency for concerted, collaborative, and resolute climate action.