Report: World Certain to Break Warming Record in 2024

Earth's march towards becoming much warmer continued unchecked in 2024.  This year is set to be the hottest year on record. It will likely pass the mark set in 2023. That's according to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The WMO last week reported that breaking the record was near certain. It went on to say that 2024 would be the first to surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) in warming for a full year.

The 1.5°C mark is a goal set by countries in the Paris Agreement. That agreement set a goal to prevent Earth from warming more than 1.5°C since pre-industrial times. Experts say meeting that goal will be key to steering clear of the worst outcomes of climate change. The latest report shows the world is falling short of that goal.

Crossing that mark in 2024 doesn’t mean that the world has failed at meeting the goal, though. To do so, the planet would have to average higher than a 1.5°C increase over twenty years. Experts say countries cannot wait any longer to bring down carbon emissions.

Samantha Burgess said she hopes the report will push leaders at the 11-day COP29 climate change conference to push for bigger changes. She's Copernicus' deputy director. The conference started Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon agreed with Burgess.

"Now is the time for world leaders to show real global leadership," wrote Ban in The Guardian. "The question remains: will we rise to meet this challenge?"

Reflect: How do you think the actions we take today might affect the world in the future? What changes do you think are most important for us to make?