According to the Copernicus Climate Change Monitoring Service, on November 17, 2023, global temperatures exceeded 2°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in history.
This latest data highlights rising ground temperatures ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which opens on November 30 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The data shows that global surface temperatures on November 17 were 2.07°C above the pre-industrial average, based on average temperatures from 1850 to 1900, before widespread use of fossil fuels.
Additionally, preliminary data on November 18 showed unusual temperatures that were 2.06°C above pre-industrial levels. While exceeding the 2°C threshold for a few days does not mean that we are failing to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the more frequently we exceed this threshold, the more serious the cumulative consequences of these violations will be.
In addition, on November 18, 2023, a new maximum concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) was recorded in the atmosphere, reaching 422.36 parts per million (ppm). This data, provided by measurements from the Mauna Loa Observatory, represents a significant increase of 4.81 ppm compared to last year’s 417.55 ppm, an alarming milestone in the continued rise of CO2 levels in our atmosphere.
Now that records have documented two days of global temperatures exceeding pre-industrial levels by more than 2°C, a clear signal is being sent at a crucial time: world leaders will meet in the same month. Assess progress in implementing Paris Agreement commitments at COP28. It is time to take decisive action against climate change.
The effects of climate change and rising global temperatures
The effects of climate change are already being felt worldwide in the form of extreme weather events, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity. A warming of 2°C will increase these impacts, with catastrophic consequences for the planet and humanity.
To prevent global temperatures from rising above 2°C, countries must dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries in 2015, sets a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, but even that goal is ambitious.
The world has little time to act. If urgent action is not taken, the 2°C limit could be permanently exceeded in the coming years.
Below are some of the impacts that 2°C global warming could have:
- Rising sea level: Sea levels could rise by up to 1.1 meters, flooding coastal areas around the world and displacing millions of people.
- Extreme weather events: Extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and hurricanes would become more frequent and intense.
- Loss of biodiversity: Biodiversity would decline drastically and many plant and animal species would become extinct.
- Health effects: Climate change would have negative impacts on human health and increase the risk of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and vector-borne diseases.
It is important that countries take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the worst impacts of climate change and rising global temperatures.
We await the conclusions of the next COP28, which will take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A conference under the motto “Tie. Act. Reach“This is intended to be a milestone in the advancement of the global climate agenda.
With information from: