WMO’s 2024 report warns of unprecedented greenhouse gas concentrations, record temperatures, and accelerating sea-level rise, urging urgent global action to prevent further climate destabilisation

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has issued a stark warning about the state of the planet’s climate, with new data showing that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have reached their highest in at least 800,000 years. According to the WMO’s ‘State of Climate 2024’ report, CO2 concentrations topped 420 parts per million in 2023, a troubling milestone in the ongoing battle against global warming.

Along with CO2, other greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), have also reached their highest levels ever recorded, contributing to record-breaking temperatures in 2024. The report reveals that the global average temperature surged 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, marking the first year since the Paris Agreement’s adoption that the 1.5°C threshold was surpassed on an annual basis.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised the urgency of the situation: “While a single year above 1.5°C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies, and to the planet.”

The report paints a grim picture of the long-term warming trend, which has consistently increased over the past decade. According to the WMO’s analysis, each of the last 10 years ranks among the hottest on record since temperature data collection began in 1850, a first in history.

The accelerated warming has also led to rising ocean temperatures, with the last eight years setting records for the highest ocean heat content. Oceans are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by GHGs, with detrimental effects. As the oceans warm, sea levels continue to rise, and the world’s cryosphere—the frozen regions of Earth—has been melting at an alarming rate. Glaciers are retreating, and Antarctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent ever recorded.

The report highlights the devastating impact of extreme weather events. Record heat and rising seas have compounded the severity of tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and extreme rainfall, displacing millions worldwide. WMO’s data shows that 2024 saw the highest displacement numbers since 2008 due to such events.

Karina von Shuckmann, an ocean expert with the WMO, warned of the accelerating pace of ocean warming, noting that it did not slow down as expected toward the end of 2024. “We need further research to understand why ocean warming has continued at this pace and what it means for the future,” she said.

The report’s findings reinforce the urgent need for immediate, substantial global action to curb emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. With the 1.5°C threshold now a clear reality, the WMO is calling for strengthened international cooperation and a more aggressive approach to tackling climate change to prevent further destabilization of the planet’s system.