World climate report warns of growing risks to lives, economy, planet

A new report from the World Meteorological Organization delivers a stark warning: climate change is accelerating, with some impacts now irreversible for centuries. The State of the Global Climate report confirms global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions and sea levels all reached record highs in 2024.

The report, compiled with data from 101 countries and various scientific organizations, provides a comprehensive look at the state of the planet. Here are five key takeaways from the WMO's findings.

2024 was the hottest year on record

2024 set a new global temperature record, averaging over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. For years, climate scientists have warned that exceeding 1.5°C of warming would lead to increasingly disastrous impacts around the globe, and it is a key goal of the Paris Climate Agreement to try to keep warming below that threshold.

"While a single year above 1.5 °C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and to the planet," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Last year's record was just the latest in a decade of record-breaking heat, with every year since 2015 ranking among the 10 hottest ever recorded.

According to John Kennedy, scientific coordinator and lead author of the report, the primary driver of this heat was the continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions, with El Niño playing a smaller role in the spike. "Maybe a tenth of a degree or two-tenths of a degree from El Niño and other factors," Kennedy said.

Greenhouse gas emissions continued their upward trend

Greenhouse gas emissions continued their upward trend, the report says.

Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide all reached record levels in 2023 — the latest year global data was available — surpassing pre-industrial concentrations by significant margins. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, fueling global warming and its cascading effects.

Oceans are absorbing record heat, leading to rising sea levels

Over 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the ocean, and in 2024, ocean heat content reached a new high in 65 years of observational records. The report notes that 2024 was the eighth consecutive year of record-breaking ocean warming.

This warming is contributing to widespread coral bleaching, disrupting marine ecosystems and accelerating sea level rise.

The WMO report states, 'The ocean will continue to warm for the foreseeable future — a change which is irreversible on centennial to millennial time scales.'"

The long-term rate of increase has more than doubled — from 2.1 mm per year between 1993-2002 to 4.7 mm per year between 2015-2024. For coastal communities, even minor increases can lead to more frequent and severe flooding.

Glaciers and ice sheets are rapidly melting

Glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking at alarming rates. Between 2021 and 2024, glaciers experienced the most severe three-year mass loss on record, the report says.

Arctic sea ice reached a minimum daily extent of 4.28 million square kilometers on Sept. 11, 2024, marking the seventh-lowest in the 46-year satellite record. That was 1.17 million km² below the 1991-2020 average — meaning an area of ice nearly equivalent to the size of South Africa had been lost.

Antarctic sea ice has remained at historically low levels, with its extent falling below 2 million km² for the third consecutive year. These losses contribute to rising sea levels, disrupt water supplies for millions of people, and threaten ecosystems that depend on stable ice conditions.

Extreme weather is displacing millions and costing billions

From deadly hurricanes and historic floods to devastating wildfires and droughts, 2024 was marked by extreme weather events. In the U.S., hurricanes Helene and Milton caused more than 250 deaths and tens of billions of dollars in damage.

Extreme weather events linked to climate change are also displacing millions of people worldwide. In 2024, climate-driven disasters triggered the highest number of new displacements in 16 years, exacerbating food shortages and economic instability worldwide.

In Brazil, devastating floods overwhelmed parts of Porto Alegre, displacing approximately 420,000 people and causing extensive economic losses. In West and Central Africa, widespread flooding affected multiple countries, with Chad and Nigeria among the hardest hit. More than 1 million people were displaced, and over 639,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

"We are working together with all the scientists around the world and the countries to ease the problem of people around the world, in developing countries, in small island developing states, so we hope that this will continue, despite the differences in politics and internal changes," said Dr Omar Baddour, chief of climate monitoring at WMO.

He suggested the report should prompt greater action to help protect our planet.

"The report highlights that, despite the rapid pace of change, there are still viable pathways of mitigation and adaptation. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains essential, with rapid expansion of renewable energy playing a crucial role."

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