Climate Change and Paris Agreement
The paper states that despite warnings, we are still moving in the wrong direction. Fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high. In July 2024, the three hottest days on record were recorded on Earth. The policies we are following will take us towards a 2.7-degree Celsius increase in temperature by 2100, which is much higher than the 1.5-degree Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement. This will be a catastrophic situation that humanity has never faced before.Temperature to increase by 2.7 degrees
According to the research paper, the temperature will increase by 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, which is much higher than the 1.5-degree Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement.Extreme climate conditions
1. The global temperature is at an all-time high, and 2024 is on track to become the hottest year on record. 2. The heat content and acidity of the oceans are at unprecedented levels, leading to large-scale deaths of marine animals, especially during the heatwaves of 2021 and 2023. 3. The concentration of nitrous oxide, a long-lived greenhouse gas, increased by 40% in the atmosphere between 1980 and 2020. 4. In 2023, there was a 1.5% increase in the use of coal and oil (fossil fuels). Fossil fuel consumption is still 14 times higher than solar and wind energy.
5. The human and livestock population is increasing at an alarming rate – approximately 200,000 and 170,000 per day, respectively. 6. Global tree cover is also decreasing rapidly. In 2022, 28.3 million hectares of forest area were lost, which increased to 22.8 million hectares in 2023. This is the third-highest rate of forest loss on record. Alone, forest fires have caused a record loss of 11.9 million hectares of forest cover.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions
According to the study, greenhouse gas emissions are at a record high, with concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere reaching critical levels. The top three countries emitting greenhouse gases are China, the United States, and India, while the highest per capita emissions are seen in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.Second-hottest September
In September 2024, the average temperature on earth’s surface reached 16.17 degrees Celsius, making it the second-hottest September on record. Notably, the temperature was 1.54 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial era (1850-1900). The European Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has confirmed this temperature increase. Data shows that none of the first eight months of the year failed to set a new temperature record. Additionally, this is the 14th time in the last 15 months that the global temperature has exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
