Global Temperature Exceeds Critical 1.5C Limit for Entire Year

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the world exceeded a key warming threshold for the first time, with the global mean temperature for the 12-month period through January surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. This underscores the urgent need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, as each of the seven months prior to January also broke heat records. The findings serve as a stark warning of the need for immediate action to limit climate change in line with the Paris Agreement targets.