2023 to be the hottest year on record: Report

In a significant announcement, Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service declared that 2023 is set to become the hottest year on record. The assertion follows an "extraordinary" November, which marked the sixth consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures. November itself shattered the previous heat record for that month, propelling this year's global average temperature to a staggering 1.46 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels.

Samantha Burgess, deputy head of the Copernicus service, emphasized the unprecedented nature of the global temperatures observed in November, including two days that exceeded 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This has solidified 2023 as the warmest year ever recorded. Notably, scientists have suggested that data from sources like ice cores and tree rings indicates that this year could be the warmest in more than 100,000 years.

The announcement coincides with the ongoing COP28 talks in Dubai, where negotiators from nearly 200 countries are debating a final draft agreement to address climate change. The fate of oil, gas, and coal—the primary contributors to human-induced climate change—is a pivotal point of discussion. Debates center around whether to "phase out" or "phase down" fossil fuels, with a potential compromise in the form of an "orderly and just" phase-out that considers varying timelines based on countries' development levels and reliance on hydrocarbons.

As the world faces the reality of 2023 as a year of extreme weather events linked to climate change, the Copernicus data reveals that the first 11 months of this year have been 0.13 degrees Celsius hotter than the previous record-holder, 2016. The global temperatures in the latter half of the year have been influenced, in part, by the El Niño weather pattern. The period from September to November, representing autumn in the northern hemisphere, stands out as the hottest ever recorded, raising concerns about approaching the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold outlined in the Paris climate agreement.

While acknowledging the impact of the El Niño pattern, Copernicus head Carlo Buontempo highlighted the inevitable trajectory if greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise. He warned that temperatures will keep increasing, accompanied by intensified heatwaves and droughts. Additionally, on the same day, researchers issued a warning about 26 Earth "tipping points," such as melting ice sheets, which could trigger irreversible catastrophes globally if crossed.