Last year was the hottest on record (again!)
Published in The Peninsula, Doha, January 14th, 2025 For the second consecutive year, global temperatures have reached a new record high. According to data from Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 has surpassed the previous record set in 2023 as the hottest year on record. In 2024, the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees for the first time. 1.5 degrees is considered the threshold beyond which catastrophic and unpredictable climate change will be very hard to avoid. Because going beyond 1.5 degrees some of the climate feedback loops can become out of control, this is the target established by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In addition to breaking the yearly record, 2024 also broke another record: most days in 2024 also exceeded 1.5 degrees and were the highest recorded for each day, ever. Of course, breaching 1.5 degrees does not mean that we are now inevitably above 1.5 degrees forever, as natural fluctuations may make future years a bit lower...