2024 Virtually Certain to Surpass 2023 as Hottest Year, Exceed 1.5°C for First Time, Says EU's Copernicus Service

Nov 7, 2024, 04:08 AM

2024 is virtually certain to become the hottest year on record, surpassing 2023 as Earth's warmest year since records began, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. For the first time, global temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the key threshold set by the Paris Agreement in 2015. Experts suggest it would take the impossible to prevent 2024 from setting this new record, underscoring the urgency for action ahead of the upcoming UN climate talks at COP29.