PARIS: On the eve of the critical UN climate summit COP29 in Azerbaijan, the European Union’s climate monitoring agency, Copernicus, has warned that 2024 is “virtually certain” to set a new record as the hottest year in history, with global temperatures surpassing 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
October, marked by extreme weather events like Spain’s devastating floods and Hurricane Milton in the U.S., recorded the second-hottest temperatures ever for that month. This trend signals what Copernicus calls a “new milestone” that should prompt intensified climate action at COP29, where global leaders will convene to set new emissions reduction targets.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the year’s catastrophic weather events—including fires, floods, and heatwaves—as a stark warning of the “human and ecological toll” from climate inaction. Despite surging global temperatures, Guterres noted that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal remains intact, as it is calculated over decades rather than a single year.
With escalating climate risks and political shifts, such as the recent U.S. election victory by Donald Trump, who has previously dismissed climate science, the UN summit will set the stage for renewed, urgent carbon-cutting commitments.
