A new report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday reveals alarming trends in climate indicators, with 2023 being a year that shattered records across various parameters.
Titled "State of the Global Climate 2023," the report confirms that the year marked the highest global average near-surface temperature in the 174-year observational record.
The temperature soared to 1.45 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline (1850-1900), making 2023 the warmest year on record.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "Sirens are blaring across all major indicators... Some records are not just chart-topping, they are chart-busting. And changes are speeding up."
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo echoed these concerns, highlighting the unprecedented ocean warmth, glacier retreat, and Antarctic Sea ice loss witnessed in 2023. She emphasized that climate change extends beyond just temperatures and urged immediate action.
COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber emphasized the need for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), emissions reductions, and investments in nature and adaptation to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The report also reveals that concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide reached record-high levels, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide concentration reached 417.9 parts per million (ppm), 50% higher than pre-industrial levels.
Furthermore, the rate of sea level rise has more than doubled over the past decade, with Antarctic sea-ice extent reaching an all-time low. The global set of reference glaciers experienced the largest loss of ice on record.
Extreme weather events, including floods, tropical cyclones, extreme heat, and droughts, had significant socio-economic impacts worldwide. Additionally, global hunger levels remained high, with over 333 million people acutely food insecure in 2023.
The report underscored the urgent need for collective action to address climate change and its far-reaching consequences on ecosystems and human livelihoods.