“Record-breaking global warmth streak ends, but the fight against climate change is far from over”
After a 13-month streak of record-breaking global warmth, the trend has finally come to an end. From June 2023 to June 2024, air and ocean surface temperatures were on average a quarter of a degree Celsius higher than previous records. However, in July 2024, air temperatures were slightly cooler than the previous July, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The increase in global temperatures has been attributed to climate change, primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The reference period for measuring modern global warming is 1850-1900, before the emission of greenhouse gases associated with industrialization. July 2024 was 1.48°C warmer than a typical pre-industrial July, with about 1.3°C attributable to the overall trend of global warming over the years.
One factor contributing to the recent temperature fluctuations is the El Niño phenomenon, which reorganizes water across the Pacific Ocean and affects global weather patterns. The 2023/2024 El Niño event was strong but not strong enough to fully explain the record-breaking temperatures of the past year. Other factors, such as increased methane concentrations and changes in solar radiation, also play a role in global warming.
The end of the record-breaking streak does not diminish the threat of climate change. Coral reefs and ecosystems around the world have suffered from rising temperatures, with mass mortality events occurring during El Niño years. The Paris agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C, but the transition away from fossil fuels is not happening quickly enough to meet this target.
While renewable energy is beginning to replace fossil fuels in sectors like electricity generation, new investments in oil and gas infrastructure continue to expand. The global temperature is expected to fluctuate around 1.4°C for the next few years, until the next significant El Niño event pushes temperatures above 1.5°C, likely in the early 2030s. The urgency of addressing climate change is clear, and the transition to renewable energy must accelerate to meet global climate targets.