2023 has become the hottest year in human history: scientists warn it will get worse

2023 will be the hottest year on record. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced the milestone after analyzing data that showed the world experienced its warmest November on record, reports CBS.

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Last month was about 1,75 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial average, with an average surface air temperature of 14,22 degrees Celsius, Copernicus said. Copernicus says that from January to November 2023, average global temperatures were the warmest on record - 1,46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

The boreal autumn from September to November was also the warmest overall "by a wide margin," with temperatures 0,88 degrees above average, Copernicus said. In September it was reported that the summer of 2023 was the hottest on record.

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“2023 had six record months and two record seasons,” said Copernicus deputy director Samantha Burgess. “Extraordinary global November temperatures mean 2023 will be the warmest year on record.”

Dangerous trait

This difference between pre-industrial times and today puts the world dangerously close to exceeding the global warming threshold of 1,5 degrees Celsius. Scientists have been warning about it for years. Continued warming means that extreme weather events, already worsening, will become even more frequent and intense. They will further exacerbate the damage and loss of life caused by droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires.

Last month, not only the air was warmer, but also the water.

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Copernicus said the average sea surface temperature for ocean waters roughly between the southern tip of Greenland and just below South America was the highest on record, about 0,25 degrees Celsius higher than the last record in November 2015.

The World Meteorological Organization, a UN agency, repeated the warning at the UN COP28 climate summit just days ago, saying the extreme conditions seen this year had "left a trail of devastation and despair".

On December 5, WMO also published a report saying the rate of climate change has "increased alarmingly," with the period from 2011 to 2020 being the warmest decade on record.

Efforts to cut emissions will be made at COP28 - but how soon

Global temperatures are a major topic of discussion at the COP28 summit in Dubai, which runs until December 12.

Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, are gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, raising air temperatures and causing sea ice to melt. This in turn increases ocean temperatures and causes sea levels to rise. Most emissions of these gases come from the combustion of fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas and oil.

Carlo Buontempo, director of the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, said the extreme temperatures seen this year will continue unless radical changes are made quickly.

“As long as greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, we cannot expect results different from those observed this year,” Buontempo said. — Temperatures will continue to rise, as will the consequences. Achieving net zero as soon as possible is an effective way to manage our climate risks.”

Scientists say switching from burning oil and coal to energy sources such as wind and solar power is an important step towards reducing emissions.

One study published in 2022 found that for every percentage point increase in renewable energy consumption, per capita CO2 emissions would fall by 1,25%. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, also found that adding 35% more wind and solar power would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 to 45%.

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Progress has been made worldwide in expanding the use of renewable energy sources. This year alone, the US produced more electricity from solar and wind than coal in a record five months, and the UK produced more electricity from wind than gas for the first time in history. But many countries, including the United States, are still far behind their commitments to make significant changes.

At COP28, representatives from nearly 200 countries are discussing plans to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

“If you're digging a hole and you find yourself at the bottom, the first thing you should do is stop digging,” US climate envoy John Kerry said at COP28. “Stopping the emissions of these toxic gases that are destroying the planet, the lives of future generations and our own is the most important issue... We ask you to truly choose a better quality of life.”

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