Europe’s climate service announced on Thursday (February 8) that the average global temperature from February 2023 to January 2024 was 1.52C higher than pre-industrial levels. This is the first time that Earth has experienced a year of warming above 1.5C, the limit agreed by world leaders in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Scientists called this a “warning to humanity” and urged for urgent action to reduce carbon emissions and slow down the warming trend.
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Another sign of unprecedented warming is the record-high average temperature of the world’s sea surface, which is usually lower at this time of the year. All scientific groups agree that the world is in its warmest period since modern records began, and probably much longer.
The 2018 UN report on climate change highlighted the benefits of limiting warming to 1.5C, which would reduce the risks of extreme weather, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss. However, the latest data shows that the world is getting closer to crossing this critical threshold.
The planet has faced a year of unprecedented heat and disasters, driven by climate change and the natural El Nino cycle. 2023 was likely the hottest year in 100,000 years, according to scientists. The warming trend has persisted into 2024, with the average global temperature reaching 1.52 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time, the EU’s climate service confirmed. Storms, drought, and fire have ravaged the world as a result of the extreme climate conditions.
“We are touching 1.5C and we see the cost, the social costs, and economic costs,” said Johan Rockstrom, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
“1.5 is a very big number and it hurts us really badly in terms of heat waves, droughts, floods, reinforced storms, water scarcity across the entire world. That is what 2023 has taught us.”
What Caused The Record-Breaking Heat In The Past Year?
Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels, are the main cause of the long-term warming trend that has pushed global temperatures above 1.5C for the first time. This is the limit agreed by world leaders in the 2015 Paris Agreement to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
El Niño, a natural cycle that warms the air by about 0.2C, has also contributed to the heat spike in recent months. The graph below shows how the global average temperature has risen above the 1.5C mark since the second half of 2023 and stayed there until 2024.
The end of El Niño could bring some temporary relief, as global temperatures may drop slightly below 1.5C in the next few months. But this will not stop the overall warming trend, which will keep rising as long as humans keep emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
How To Avoid Crossing The 1.5C Line Of No Return
The world is on track to breach the 1.5C limit of global warming as a long-term average, agreed by world leaders in the 2015 Paris Agreement, within the next 10 years.
This would be a symbolic and dangerous point, but not a point of no return, say researchers. Climate change impacts, such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and floods, would worsen with every fraction of a degree of warming.
Beyond 1.5C, the risks of triggering irreversible changes, such as the collapse of ice sheets and the rise of sea levels, would also increase significantly. But there is still hope. Humans can shape the future of the planet by cutting carbon emissions and adopting green technologies, such as renewables and electric vehicles. Some of the worst scenarios of 4C warming or more this century are now less likely, thanks to current policies and pledges.
And the world could stop warming if it reaches net zero emissions, which means halving them this decade is crucial. “We have the power to determine how much warming the world experiences, based on our collective actions as a society and as a planet,” says Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth.
Bangladesh Faces Multiple Threats From Climate Warming
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change and global warming. Despite emitting only 0.4% of the global greenhouse gases, Bangladesh ranks seventh on the list of countries most at risk from climate disasters, according to a 2021 report.
The country’s low-lying and densely populated coastal areas are exposed to rising sea levels, which could submerge up to 11% of the land and displace about 18 million people by 2050. The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is also threatened by saltwater intrusion and erosion.
Bangladesh also faces the challenges of increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, and more intense cyclones, which affect the water and food security, infrastructure, health, and livelihoods of millions of people. The country has experienced 185 extreme weather events from 2000 to 2019, causing economic losses worth $3.72 billion. Climate change is also linked to the spread of infectious diseases and the rise of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
Bangladesh is taking steps to adapt to the changing climate and reduce its emissions, such as investing in renewable energy, improving disaster management, and enhancing coastal resilience. However, the country needs more support from the international community to cope with the challenges and achieve its development goals. As a climate leader and a chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, Bangladesh is also advocating for more ambitious actions from the major emitters to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
