Earth Records Hottest Year Ever in 2024, Exceeds Paris Agreement's 1.5°C Threshold

Jan 10, 2025, 03:05 AM

In 2024, Earth recorded its hottest year ever, with global average temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time in a calendar year, according to reports from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The Associated Press also reported that Earth passed a major climate threshold. Earlier in the year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had estimated a 77% chance that 2024 would be the warmest year on record. The record-breaking heat brings the planet closer to critical climate thresholds outlined in the Paris Agreement and underscores the dangers of a world 1.5 degrees hotter, with global temperatures soaring beyond what modern humans have ever experienced.