2023 broke global heat records, yet it might be remembered as a cool year

In a stark revelation, the European Union's climate agency, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), has declared 2023 as the warmest year on record, surpassing previous temperature benchmarks with a significant margin.

This alarming milestone, likely the hottest in over 100,000 years, underscores the escalating severity of global warming. The average global temperature in 2023 soared to 1.48 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period, edging perilously close to the 1.5-degree threshold set by the Paris Agreement to avert catastrophic climate impacts.

Despite efforts to curb emissions, carbon dioxide levels reached an unprecedented high, with every day of the year exceeding the 1-degree mark above pre-industrial times. The EU agency's findings highlight the urgent need for decisive action against human-induced climate change, as the planet grapples with intensifying weather disasters, from heatwaves to floods, that threaten ecosystems and human lives alike.