Record greenhouse gas levels in 2024 have driven global temperatures to an all-time high, accelerating the loss of glaciers and sea ice, raising sea levels, and bringing the world closer to a key climate threshold, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Record greenhouse gas levels pushed temperatures to an unprecedented high in 2024, accelerating the loss of glaciers and sea ice, raising sea levels, and edging the world closer to a critical climate threshold, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The WMO’s annual climate report revealed that global average temperatures in 2024 were 1.55°C (2.79°F) above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous 2023 record by 0.1°C. This puts the world perilously close to exceeding the 1.5°C temperature increase limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. While various factors, including a shift in the solar cycle, a significant volcanic eruption, and a reduction in cooling aerosols, contributed to last year’s temperature spike, the primary driver remains the record levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
The report highlighted the dire consequences of these temperature increases, with extreme weather events causing widespread devastation. Droughts led to severe food shortages, while floods and wildfires displaced over 800,000 people—the highest number since records began in 2008.
Meanwhile, ocean heat reached its highest recorded levels, with warming rates accelerating. Rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the ocean also contributed to increasing acidification, further threatening marine life.
The accelerated melting of glaciers and sea ice pushed sea levels to a new high. From 2015 to 2024, sea levels rose by an average of 4.7 millimeters per year—more than double the 2.1 millimeters annually recorded between 1993 and 2002, according to WMO data.
John Kennedy, WMO’s scientific coordinator, also warned of the broader, long-term impacts of the melting ice in polar regions. “Changes in those areas could influence global ocean circulation patterns, which in turn can affect global climate,” he explained. "What happens in the poles doesn’t stay at the poles."
While preliminary estimates suggest the long-term average temperature increase is between 1.34°C and 1.41°C, bringing the world close to the Paris target, the WMO clarified that a single year exceeding 1.5°C does not necessarily indicate a breach of the Paris Agreement threshold. However, due to uncertainty in the data, it cannot be completely ruled out, Kennedy said during a briefing.
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Japan’s core inflation rose to a more than two-year high in May, exceeding the central bank’s 2% target for over three years and increasing pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to resume rate hikes.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov discussed bilateral partnership and regional security on the sidelines of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul.
Kyrgyzstan's First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev met with Gazprombank First Vice President Oleg Melnikov during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to discuss strengthening financial cooperation.
Two Nigerian communities will take Shell to trial in the UK in 2027 after winning a court ruling over Niger Delta oil pollution.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced Friday it is raising its financing ceiling to a record €100 billion to accelerate investments in defence, energy security and Europe’s technological leadership.
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Japan’s core inflation rose to a more than two-year high in May, exceeding the central bank’s 2% target for over three years and increasing pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to resume rate hikes.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov discussed bilateral partnership and regional security on the sidelines of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul.
Kyrgyzstan's First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev met with Gazprombank First Vice President Oleg Melnikov during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to discuss strengthening financial cooperation.
Two Nigerian communities will take Shell to trial in the UK in 2027 after winning a court ruling over Niger Delta oil pollution.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced Friday it is raising its financing ceiling to a record €100 billion to accelerate investments in defence, energy security and Europe’s technological leadership.
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