In March 2025, Geneva (Switzerland)-based World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its report titled ‘State of the Global Climate Report 2024’, It states that atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels reached at 420 parts per million (ppm) in 2023, which is the highest in the last 8 lakh years. As per WMO, 420 ppm of CO2 is equivalent to 3,276 Gigatonnes (Gt) or 3.276 trillion of CO2 in the atmosphere.
- Also, the CO2 levels in 2023 were 2.3 ppm higher than in 2022 and 151% of the pre-industrial level (1750).
- The report mentioned that long-term global warming is currently projected to be between 1.34 degree Celsius (°C) and 1.41°C compared to the 1850-1900 baseline.
About State of the Global Climate Report 2024:
i.The report draws on scientific input from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, the WMO Regional Climate Centres, the United Nations(UN) partners, and numerous experts.
ii.It features sidebars on tracking global temperature trends in line with the Paris Agreement and analyzing temperature anomalies in 2023 and 2024.
iii.Three methods for establishing an up-to-date estimate of current global warming as of 2024, compared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6) method, which uses averages over the previous 10 years and is representative of warming to 2019.
Key Findings:
i.Global Average Temperature: The report showed that the year 2024 was probably the 1st Calendar Year (CY) to be over 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial era, with global average temperature of 1.55 °C ±0.13 °C above the 1850-1990 average, which is the warmest year in 175-year observational record.
- The record breaking global temperatures witnessed in 2023 and again in 2024 were mainly due to increasing Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions and 2023-24 El Nino events.
- The report highlighted that the last 10 years (from 2015 to 2024) were the warmest on record, with each of the last 8 years setting new records for ocean heat content.
Note: El Nino is a periodic warming of the ocean surface particularly in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which happens every 2 to 7 years for 9 to 12 months.
ii.Ocean Heat Content: The report showed that nearly 90% of the additional heat trapped by GHGs is absorbed by the oceans, which further warming the ocean water and impacting marine life, weather patterns and seal-levels.
- According to the report, the ocean heat content in 2024 reached its highest level in the 65-year observational record.
iii.Increase in Seal-level: It showed that the global average sea level was the highest in 2024, since satellite records started in 1993.
- The increase in the rate of sea level has doubled from 2.1 millimeters (mm) (from 1993-2002) to 4.7 mm (2015-2024).
- Similarly, the rate of ocean warming has doubled over the last 20 years (2005-2024) compared to the period of 1960-2005.
iv.Ocean Acidification: The report observed the steady decrease of global average ocean surface pH, known as Ocean Acidification specially in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean, and some regions in the Atlantic Ocean.
v.Glacier Mass Balance: As per the report, the period 2022-2024 shows the most negative 3-year glacier mass balance on record. Also, 7 of the worst 10 negative mass balance years since 1950 have occurred since 2016.
- The report further highlighted the regions which have experienced most negative mass balances were: Norway, Sweden, Svalbard and the tropical Andes.
vi.Impact of Extreme Events: The report revealed that extreme events such as: tropical cyclones, floods, droughts and other disasters in 2024 led to highest number of new displacements recorded in the last 16 years (2008).
About World Meteorological Organisation(WMO):
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
- It was established in 1950 and became the UN’s specialized agency in 1951.
Secretary General– Celeste Saulo
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Members– 193 members (187 member states and 6 territories)
