The report, from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sets out how high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are driving sea levels and ice melting to new highs and fueling extreme weather from Pakistan to Puerto Rico. The stark assessment was released on the opening day of the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt, and as the UN Secretary-General warned that “our planet is on track to reach tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible”. The WMO estimates that the global average temperature in 2022 will be about 1.15C above the pre-industrial average (1850-1900), meaning that every year since 2016 has been one of the warmest on record. WMO chart for the warmest years Over the past two years, the natural climate phenomenon La Niña has actually kept global temperatures cooler than they would otherwise be. The inevitable change in El Nino conditions will see temperatures rise even higher in the future, on top of global warming. The WMO report stated:
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are at record levels in the atmosphere as emissions continue. The annual increase in methane, a potent greenhouse gas, was the highest on record. Sea levels are now rising twice as fast as 30 years ago and the oceans are warmer than ever. Records for melting glaciers in the Alps were broken in 2022, with an average height loss of 13 feet (4 meters). Rain – not snow – has been recorded for the first time on the 3,200m-high Greenland ice cap. Antarctic sea ice area fell to its lowest level on record, almost 1 m km2 below the long-term average.
“The greater the warming, the worse the effects,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petri Taalas. “We have such high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere now that the lowest 1.5C [target] of the Paris Agreement is hardly possible. It is already too late for many glaciers [and] Sea-level rise is a long-term and significant threat to many millions of coastal waters and low-lying states.” Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said ahead of Cop27: “Emissions continue to rise to record levels. This means our planet is on a trajectory to reach tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We have to go from turning points to turning points for hope.” A series of recent reports have signaled how close the planet is to climate disaster, with no “credible pathway to 1.5C in place” and the current level of action falling short of a drop in emissions and a 2.5C rise in global temperatures . Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our site and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Cop27: the climate carnage we faced this year – video Rising global warming is making extreme weather events more intense and more frequent around the world. The WMO report highlighted the drought in eastern Africa, where rainfall has been below average for four consecutive periods, the heaviest in 40 years. About 19 million people are now suffering from a food crisis. The WMO analysis also stated: “All too often, those least responsible for climate change suffer the most, but even the most well-prepared societies this year have been devastated by extremes,” said Professor Taalas. Professor Mike Meredith, at the British Antarctic Survey, said: “The messages in this report could hardly be more bleak – across our planet, records are being broken as different parts of the climate system begin to collapse. Ice loss is of particular concern as the impacts on people, societies and economies are enormous. If that doesn’t focus the minds of world leaders on Cop27, I don’t know what will.”
