As the world gathers for the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that 2024 might be the hottest year ever recorded. This data heightens the need for urgent action implemented to mitigate severe climate change impacts affecting people, biodiversity, and ecosystems globally.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that 2024 is likely to be the hottest year on record, following an extended period of unusually high global temperatures. From January to September 2024, global average temperatures were 1.54 (±0.13) °C above pre-industrial levels, underscoring the need for data-driven climate actions. Additionally, Antarctic sea ice is at its second-lowest extent ever recorded, glacier loss continues rapidly, and extreme weather events increasingly result in extensive economic and human costs and are attributed to climate crises.

The “WMO State of the Climate 2024 Update,” presented on the opening day of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlights the significant challenges to meeting the Paris Agreement goals. The report shows that 2015-2024 is set to be the warmest decade on record, with accelerating sea-level rise, ocean warming, and intensified extreme weather events impacting communities and economies worldwide.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the climate crisis is severely affecting health, widening inequalities, and undermining sustainable development and peace. He highlighted that the most vulnerable communities, who are on the frontlines of these unprecedented events, are the hardest hit.

Reflecting on the report’s findings, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted that every fraction of a degree of warming now has significant consequences. While temporary warming above 1.5°C does not mean the Paris Agreement target is unattainable, continued efforts are needed to limit long-term global temperature increases.

Saulo explained that daily, monthly, and annual temperature spikes—often influenced by natural events like El Niño and La Niña—should not be equated with the long-term goals set in the Paris Agreement.

Saulo further called for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate monitoring systems. “We need to increase support for climate adaptation, including climate information services and early warnings for all,” she stated. 2024 is on track to surpass 2023 as the warmest year, with record-high global mean temperatures observed consistently over the past 16 months (June 2023 to September 2024).

One or more individual years above 1.5°C does not imply failure to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting long-term warming. Rather, the exceedance should be seen as a temporary fluctuation rather than a sustained trend, as the Agreement’s target is based on extended, decadal averages.

WMO’s consolidated data indicates that climate extremes, including dangerous heat, heavy precipitation, floods, cyclones, and persistent drought, continue to disrupt sustainable development, worsen food insecurity, and fuel displacement.

The final report on the State of the Global Climate in 2024, which will expand on these impacts, is expected in March 2025.