Background and Relevance
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, has issued a stark warning about global temperatures. According to their recent report, 2025 is expected to be either the second or third warmest year ever recorded, following over a decade of unprecedented high temperatures. However, the WMO emphasizes that this trend can still be reversed with concrete actions.
Key Findings
- Historical Greenhouse Gas Levels: The WMO report highlights that concentrations of greenhouse gases have reached unprecedented highs, leading to an increase in global temperatures.
- Temperature Rise: Although 2025 won’t surpass 2024 as the warmest year, it will rank second or third. The average surface temperature for the first eight months of 2025 was 1.42°C above pre-industrial levels.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Program for the Environment of the United Nations (UNEP) reported a 2.3% increase in greenhouse gas emissions last year, driven by major emitters like India, China, Russia, and Indonesia.
- Climate Impacts: The WMO report details extreme weather events in the first eight months of 2025, including severe floods and large forest fires, causing cascading effects on lives, livelihoods, and food systems.
“Act Now”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the urgency of the situation. He stated that exceeding 1.5°C will negatively impact economies, exacerbate inequalities, and cause irreversible damage. He called for immediate, large-scale action to minimize the excess and bring global temperatures back below 1.5°C by century’s end.
Current Status
Despite the urgent call, the world remains far from achieving these targets. The WMO reports that the years 2015-2025 will be the warmest on record since 1846, with 2023, 2024, and 2025 among the top three. The organization also noted that Arctic sea ice extent this year was the lowest ever recorded, and Antarctic sea ice remained significantly below average throughout 2025.
Early Warning Systems
The WMO acknowledged progress in early warning multi-risk systems, with the number of countries reporting such systems rising from 56 in 2015 to 119. However, they lamented that 40% of countries still lack these vital systems, urging immediate action to address this gap.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: Why is 2025 projected to be so warm? A: Due to over a decade of unprecedented high temperatures, driven by record-breaking greenhouse gas concentrations.
- Q: How does 2025 compare to previous warmest years? A: While not the warmest, 2025 is expected to be either second or third in terms of global temperatures.
- Q: What are the implications of these high temperatures? A: They contribute to extreme weather events, threaten economies, exacerbate inequalities, and cause irreversible damage.
- Q: What progress has been made in climate action? A: There have been significant advancements in early warning multi-risk systems, with more countries implementing them.
- Q: What remains to be done? A: Despite progress, many countries still lack early warning systems, and global temperatures must be brought back below 1.5°C to avoid catastrophic climate change.
