What's happened
Scientists report 2025 was the third hottest year globally, with temperatures averaging 1.44°C above pre-industrial levels. The last three years approach the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement, with climate change driven mainly by fossil fuel emissions. Experts warn breach could occur before 2030.
What's behind the headline?
The latest climate data underscores an urgent reality: global warming is accelerating beyond initial projections. The fact that 2025 ranks as the third hottest year, with the last three years collectively nearing the 1.5°C threshold, signals an imminent breach of the Paris Agreement limit. This is driven primarily by fossil fuel combustion, which continues to dominate emissions. The natural variability, such as El Niño, temporarily amplifies these trends, but the underlying human influence is clear and persistent. The potential overshoot of 1.5°C before 2030 will likely lead to more severe weather events, including heatwaves, storms, and floods, with irreversible impacts on ecosystems and societies. Governments and industries must accelerate emission reductions; otherwise, the window for effective climate action narrows dangerously. The data also reveals that climate impacts are already intensifying, with record wildfires and melting polar ice, emphasizing that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a current crisis demanding immediate action.
What the papers say
The Guardian highlights that 2025 was the third hottest year on record, with surface temperatures averaging 1.48°C above preindustrial levels, driven by fossil fuel pollution. Politico notes that global temperatures are now around 1.4°C higher, with projections indicating a breach of the 1.5°C limit before 2030 if current trends continue. AP News emphasizes that the last three years, including 2025, are approaching the Paris Agreement's threshold, with natural variability like El Niño temporarily influencing temperatures. Reuters reports that the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts confirms these years as the hottest since records began, with 2024 being the hottest. The Independent consolidates these findings, stressing that the long-term warming trend is driven by human activity, and warns of escalating impacts on ecosystems and human systems. All sources agree that the warming trend is accelerating, with the potential for severe, irreversible climate impacts if emissions are not drastically reduced.
How we got here
Global temperatures have been rising due to human activities, especially burning fossil fuels, which increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific organizations worldwide, including the WMO, Copernicus, and the Met Office, have tracked these trends over decades, confirming a consistent warming pattern. Recent years have seen record-breaking heat, wildfires, and melting polar ice, intensifying concerns about climate impacts.
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The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories. The President of the World Meteorological Congress, its supreme body, is Gerhard Adrian as a successor of David Grimes. The