2023 is officially the hottest year in human history

Scientists: “Temperatures will continue to rise”

After months of anticipation, it has been officially announced that 2023 has become the hottest year ever recorded. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service declared the climate event after analyzing data that showed the world had the warmest November on record.

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In 2023, the most anomalous temperatures were announced several times, and finally, employees of the Copernicus space program, engaged in sounding the Earth, declared this year the hottest.

According to Copernicus, from January to November 2023, average global temperatures were the highest in the entire history of observations — 1.46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. In September it was reported that the summer of 2023 was the hottest on record. And the most anomalous months were July and November.

Autumn was also the warmest and, in terms of average daily temperature, broke away from previous data, reports Copernicus.

“2023 had six record months and two record seasons,” — announced the deputy director of «Copernicus» Samantha Burgess. She added that November's «extraordinary global temperatures mean 2023 will be the warmest year on record.»

This difference between pre-industrial times and today puts the world dangerously close to exceeding the global warming threshold in The 1.5 degrees Celsius that scientists have been warning about for years. Continued warming suggests that extreme weather events, already worsening, will become even more frequent and intense, making life worse through droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires.

And last month, it was not just the air that was reported to be warmer, but the water as well. Service officials said average ocean surface temperatures between the southern tip of Greenland and just below South America were the highest on record, about 0.25 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous record November 2015. 

«Copernicus» already warned earlier that 2023 is already “virtually certain.” will receive the title of the warmest year. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations agency, echoed the EU service's statement at the UN COP28 climate summit, saying the extreme conditions experienced this year «have left a trail of devastation and despair». 

The WMO also released a report saying the rate of climate change has «increased alarmingly,» with 2011-2020 the warmest decade on record.

Let us remind you that global temperatures are the main topic of discussion at the COP28 summit in Dubai, which will last until December 12. Greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. This raises air temperatures and melts sea ice, causing water levels to rise.

Copernicus Climate Change Service director Carlo Buontempo tells CBS that this year's extreme temperatures will continue into the future unless radical changes are made quickly.

«As long as greenhouse gas concentrations remain continue to grow, we cannot expect results different from those observed this year. Temperatures will continue to rise, as will the effects of heat waves and drought. Achieving net zero as soon as possible — this is an effective way to manage our climate risks,” — noted Buontempo.

Scientists say switching from burning oil and coal to sources such as wind and solar power is an important step toward reducing emissions. A study published in 2022 found that for every 1 percentage point increase in renewable energy consumption, per capita carbon dioxide emissions would fall by 1.25 percent. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, also found that increasing the use of wind and solar power by 35 percent would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 to 45 percent.

«If you're digging a hole and it gets too deep and you're not going where you want to go, the first thing you do is stop digging,” — said US climate envoy John Kerry at COP28. He added that “the end of the conversation will mean an end to the emissions of toxic gases that are destroying the planet, the lives of future generations and our own ability to live.” At the end of his speech, he called for striving to improve the quality of life.