Global temperatures in 2025 are poised to rank among the highest in documented history, with early data indicating the year will likely become the second- or third-warmest ever observed, according to a new assessment released Tuesday by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The findings suggest that the planet continues to warm at a rapid pace, building on the unprecedented heat levels seen in 2024, which currently holds the record as the world’s hottest year.
The latest analysis from C3S comes less than a month after the COP30 climate summit, where world governments once again failed to reach consensus on major new emission-cutting commitments. The lack of progress, analysts say, reflects deepening geopolitical tensions: the United States has scaled back several climate policies, while other major economies have pushed for more flexibility in meeting CO₂-reduction targets.
Three-Year Period Now Averaging Above 1.5°C
In its monthly bulletin, C3S reported that 2025 is set to conclude a significant and troubling milestone: it will likely complete the first-ever three-year period during which the average global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a historic reference point dating back to 1850–1900 when large-scale fossil fuel combustion began.
Samantha Burgess, the service’s strategic lead for climate, stressed that these indicators reflect far more than scientific thresholds. “These milestones are not abstract — they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change,” she said. “We are observing sustained warming that is now reshaping weather patterns, ecosystems, and human safety in real time.”
Although the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target refers to long-term averages across several decades, not isolated years or short periods, climate scientists warn that repeated yearly breaches make the goal increasingly unattainable. Earlier this year, the United Nations said that the 1.5°C limit can no longer realistically be achieved without significant overshooting, urging governments to dramatically accelerate emissions cuts to reduce the severity and duration of that overshoot.
Extreme Weather Intensifies
The record-level heat has fueled a series of extreme weather disasters across multiple continents in 2025. Last month, Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated parts of the Philippines, leaving more than 200 people dead and causing widespread infrastructure destruction. In Europe, Spain endured its worst wildfire season in three decades, with scientists confirming that hotter, drier conditions made fires more likely and more difficult to contain.
Other regions have also experienced climate-linked disruptions. Parts of South America suffered record-breaking heatwaves at the start of the year; East Africa saw prolonged drought followed by destructive flash flooding; and the Arctic continued to lose sea ice at rates far above the 20th-century norm.
A Clear Long-Term Trend
Although natural climate variability—such as El Niño and La Niña cycles—can cause temperatures to jump or dip in any given year, researchers emphasize that the broader trend is unmistakable. “What we’re seeing is consistent with decades of data and decades of warnings,” said Burgess. “Every year that emissions remain high, the planet continues to warm.”
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the last ten years have all ranked as the warmest since global records began. This aligns with C3S’s temperature archive, which extends back to 1940 and is cross-checked against historical datasets reaching as far back as the mid-19th century.
The primary driver of the warming, scientists repeatedly confirm, is the continued release of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide—resulting from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.
Political Inaction Raises Concerns
The muted outcome of COP30 has added to concerns among climate researchers and environmental groups that the world is drifting away from the Paris Agreement’s objectives. Negotiations at the summit stalled over disagreements about how quickly economies should cut emissions, how developing nations should be supported in adapting to warming, and the role of fossil fuels in future energy systems.
Some countries argued for phased reductions rather than immediate cuts, while others questioned whether binding targets should be strengthened. Meanwhile, several major emitters signaled reduced ambition in the face of domestic political pressures and economic challenges.
Looking Ahead
With 2025 nearly certain to join 2024 at the top of global heat rankings, experts warn that climate-related risks—including extreme storms, food insecurity, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss—will likely intensify unless emissions drop sharply within this decade.
Source:Africa Publicity
