On Tuesday, January 9, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the EU’s climate monitoring authority, officially declared 2023The escalating temperatures in 2023 had severe consequences, exacerbating deadly heatwaves from China to Europe, the hottest year ever recorded. The deputy head of C3S went even further, stating that the temperatures in 2023 “likely” surpassed those observed in the past 100,000 years.
What are the climate records shattered in 2023?
The anticipation of this dreadful milestone had been across the board among scientists, given the consistent shattering of climate records the previous year.
Scientists report that 2023 has been portrayed by scorching heat waves, destructive floods, and intense storms, collectively breaking global weather records. The first 11 months of the year have witnessed the highest mean temperature on record, surpassing the pre-industrial average by 1.46 degrees Celsius (2.63 degrees Fahrenheit).
Throughout January to November, the 11-month average has exceeded that of 2016, previously recognised as the warmest calendar year on record, by 0.13 degrees Celsius (0.234 degrees Fahrenheit).
In June, scientists announced the emergence of the El Nino climate pattern near the equator in the central and eastern Pacific. El Nino’s influence on ocean temperatures and rainfall patterns has significantly shaped the extreme weather events witnessed in 2023.
The world’s oceans have also set a new temperature record, reaching 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.71 Fahrenheit). According to the C3S, the previous record for ocean temperature stood at 20.95 degrees Celsius (69.71 Fahrenheit) in March 2016.
In 2023, the Earth underwent an average temperature of 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit), higher than the pre-industrial period of 1850-1900. This significant warming trend has been attributed to the widespread burning of fossil fuels on a massive industrial scale, leading to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
As per the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations committed to preventing global warming from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius to mitigate the severest consequences. While the world has not yet breached this target, the C3S reported that temperatures exceeded this level on nearly half of the days in 2023, establishing what they described as “a dire precedent.”
Furthermore, C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess highlighted that the ongoing month is poised to be so warm that, for the first time, a 12-month period will surpass the critical 1.5-degree threshold.
Alarmingly, 2023 marked the first year in which every day surpassed temperatures 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than pre-industrial times. Additionally, two days in November were recorded as 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial period, marking an unprecedented occurrence, according to C3S.
The Alarming Increase of CO2: C3S
Despite the numerous climate targets set by governments and companies, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have continued to persist at alarming levels. In 2023, global CO2 emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas reached unprecedented heights.
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere also reached a record high last year, measuring 419 ppm (parts per million), as reported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The Consequences of Escalating Temperatures
The escalating temperatures in 2023 had severe consequences, exacerbating deadly heatwaves from China to Europe, triggering extreme rainfall leading to floods that claimed thousands of lives in Libya, and fueling Canada’s worst wildfire season on record. Each incremental rise in temperature intensified the occurrence of extreme and destructive weather disasters across the globe.
Carlo Buontempo, the director of the C3S, commented on the extraordinary nature of the climate conditions in 2023, stating, “This has been a very exceptional year climate-wise, … in a league of its own, even when compared to other hot years.”
Looking Ahead
As we grapple with the aftermath 2023, it becomes increasingly clear that the climate crisis is not a distant threat but an immediate and escalating reality. The path forward requires a collective commitment to sustainable practices, reduced carbon emissions, and global cooperation to lessen the severe consequences of climate change.
