BRUSSELS/GENEVA (Reuters) – The EU’s climate change monitoring service reported that each of the past 12 months ranked as the warmest on record. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgent need for action to avert “climate hell”.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported the average global temperature for the 12-month period to the end of May. It was 1.63 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, marking the warmest such period since record-keeping began in 1940.
The 12-month average doesn’t mean the world has surpassed the 1.5 C global warming threshold yet. This threshold describes a temperature average over decades, beyond which scientists warn of more extreme and irreversible impacts.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated there’s an 80% chance that one of the next five years will surpass 1.5C. This is up from 66% last year.
Speaking about the findings, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized how quickly the world was heading in the wrong direction and away from stabilizing its climate system.
“In 2015, the chance of such a breach was near zero,” Guterres said in a speech marking World Environment Day.
With time running out to reverse course, Guterres urged a 30% cut in global fossil fuel production and use by 2030.
Moreover, the adverse impacts of climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, exacerbating inequalities and exacerbating social tensions.
To mitigate the consequences of the record temperatures streak and avert the worst-case scenarios predicted by the UN, concerted efforts are needed at the global, national, and local levels.
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