World leaders, scientists, and journalists gathered in Dubai for the UN’s annual climate summit, COP28.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the attendees via video, stating that the world is experiencing a real-time climate collapse with significant consequences.
On the agenda is a report produced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which – in line with equivalent reports – asserts that 2023 will be the warmest year ever recorded, breaking climate records and leaving a trail of destruction and despair due to extreme weather events.
The overall trends and the current situation are highly concerning. The report attributes part of the record year to the El Niño weather phenomenon, which led to a shift from La Niña in 2022 to El Niño in 2023, contributing to the temperature increase.
Despite the mostly grim facts presented in the climate report, there is a glimmer of hope. Guterres mentioned a “roadmap” to avoid the worst “climate chaos” but stresses the need for leaders to take action at COP28 to stay within the 1.5°C limit. The report also notes a 10% increase in renewable energy capacity in 2023, primarily driven by solar and wind power.
Key points from the report:
- The volume of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere in 2022 was the highest measured. This is expected to increase in 2023.
- The global average temperature in October is 1.4°C higher than the 1850-1900 average. 2023 is projected to be the warmest year ever measured, breaking records set in 2016 and 2020.
- Sea levels are also at a record high, and the rate they rose in the decade 2013-2022 is more than double that of 1993-2002.
- The area of ice in the Antarctic is at a record low and 1.5M km² less than the 1991-2020 average.
- Climate change has reduced food security in 2023.
See also
WMO Press release, 2023-11-30
The full global stocktake report
Source
Ny klimarapport: 2023 knuser flere rekorder [New climate report: 2023 breaks several records], NRK, 2023-11-30
Boˆreal 