On January 10, 2025, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that 2024 is the warmest year on record globally, with average temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This marks a significant milestone in climate change, as the year recorded unprecedented temperature averages, influenced by human-induced climate change and factors such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation.
Europe experienced an average temperature of 10.69 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record set in 2020 by 0.28 degrees. Additionally, the continent recorded its warmest spring and summer, with spring temperatures 1.50 degrees higher and summer temperatures 1.54 degrees above the 1991-2020 averages.
The global average temperature reached 15.10 degrees Celsius, 0.72 degrees above the 1991-2020 average and 0.12 degrees higher than the previous record in 2023. This indicates a 1.60-degree increase compared to the estimated pre-industrial level from 1850-1900.
The 1.5-degree threshold is a critical benchmark established under the 2016 Paris Agreement, where countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming. While the World Meteorological Organization does not classify temporary breaches of this threshold as failures, the significance of exceeding it remains a concern for global climate policy.