Earth is heating up faster than expected
Not all regions are warming equally.
The world is heating up at an alarming rate, with the last two years, 2023 and 2024, setting new temperature records.
As negotiators reach finals rounds of negotiations in Azerbaijan for COP29, the latest round of UN climate change talks, the urgency of addressing global warming has never been more apparent.
Recent data shows that Earth has warmed by 1°C in just the last 60 years, a dramatic acceleration compared to the century it took for the first 0.3°C increase. The rate of warming has been relatively steady at 0.2°C per decade since 1970, significantly faster than any period before3.
The primary driver of this rapid warming is human emissions of greenhouse gases. Increasing emissions lead to faster warming, while reducing emissions slows the pace. However, global temperatures will continue to rise until emissions reach net zero.
Not all regions are warming equally. Land areas are typically warming faster than the global average, with the Arctic experiencing warming up to four times the global rate. Oceans, meanwhile, are warming more slowly.
Looking ahead to 2025, climate scientists expect it to be cooler than 2024 due to the transition to La Nina conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. However, the long-term warming trend remains clear.
The 1.5°C warming threshold, a key target of the Paris Agreement, is likely to be exceeded as a long-term average within the next decade.
The choices made in the coming years will determine whether global warming can be limited to 1.6°C or 1.7°C above pre-industrial levels, or if the world will continue to warm with more severe consequences.