The latest global climate report has been released, confirming that 2023 is the hottest year on record

On the occasion of World Meteorological Day on March 23, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently released the "2023 Global Climate Status" report. The report shows that in 2023, multiple climate change indicators such as global greenhouse gas concentrations, surface temperature, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice area, and glacier melting set new records.

The report states that 2023 is the hottest year on record, and the past 10 years have been the hottest on record.

WMO Secretary General Celeste Solo, who took office in January this year, said, "We are issuing a red alert to the world. The situation we see in 2023, especially unprecedented sea water warming, sea ice area, and glacier melting, is particularly concerning."

The global average surface temperature is 1.45 ℃ higher than the pre industrial baseline

The report states that the global average near surface temperature in 2023 is 1.45 ± 0.12 ℃ higher than the pre industrial average level from 1850 to 1900. 2023 is the warmest year on record in 174 years of observation. This broke the previous record for the warmest year, which was 2016, which was 1.29 ± 0.12 ℃ higher than the average level from 1850 to 1900, and 2020, which was 1.27 ± 0.13 ℃ higher.

Meanwhile, the global average temperature from 2014 to 2023 was 1.20 ± 0.12 ℃ higher than the average level from 1850 to 1900. From June to December, the temperature of each month has set a record high from a global perspective. It should be noted that the temperature in September 2023 far exceeded the global record for September (0.46 to 0.54 ℃).

Whether it is 1.45 ℃ or 1.2 ℃, it means that the alarm will sound, and the climate crisis is undoubtedly a decisive challenge facing humanity.

Hu Bin, Director of Global Climate Governance at the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, said that 1.45 ℃ is very close to the temperature rise target of 1.5 ℃ set by the Paris Agreement. At the same time, the global average temperature in the past decade has been 1.2 ℃ higher, indicating that the high temperature in 2023 is not an occasional phenomenon, but a trend of growth.

In 2023, on average, almost one-third of the world's oceans are affected by ocean heat waves on a daily basis, causing damage to important ecosystems and food systems. By the end of 2023, over 90% of the oceans have experienced heat wave conditions at some point in the year.

According to preliminary data, driven by extreme melting in western North America and Europe, a group of benchmark glaciers worldwide suffered the largest ice loss recorded since 1950.

Extreme weather and climate events have had significant socio-economic impacts on all inhabited continents. According to this report, in 2023, heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other factors have affected the daily lives of millions of people, causing billions of dollars in economic losses.

Hu Bin said, "More and more evidence suggests that climate change is considered the main driver of frequent extreme weather events, so the serious impact of climate change on the global economy cannot be ignored."

Can the transformation of renewable energy bring hope?

Renewable energy generation is mainly driven by the dynamic forces of solar radiation, wind, and water cycle, and has jumped to the forefront of climate action due to its potential to achieve decarbonization goals. In 2023, the new capacity of renewable energy increased by nearly 50% compared to 2022, with a total power generation capacity of 510 gigawatts (GW), the highest observed rate in the past two decades.

This to some extent indicates the potential to achieve the clean energy target set by COP28, which is to double the global installed capacity of renewable energy to 11000 gigawatts by 2030.

This week's Copenhagen Climate Ministerial Conference will bring together climate leaders and ministers from around the world for the first time since COP28 in Dubai to promote accelerated climate action.

Hu Bin stated that the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial Conference will promote countries to accelerate the implementation of the UAE Consensus reached on COP28, especially in the context of escalating climate change. Countries should strengthen international cooperation to jointly address challenges.

It is undeniable that the long-term rise in global temperature is inseparable from the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

The report states that data shows that in 2023, the concentrations of three major greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), continued to rise at record levels in 2022, with CO2 concentrations 50% higher than pre industrial levels.

As is well known, CO2 has a long lifespan, which means that temperatures will continue to rise for many years to come.

"Carbon neutrality has become a global consensus, and countries should pragmatically promote low-carbon transformation. Developed countries should take the lead in accelerating emissions reduction and achieving carbon neutrality goals in advance. At the same time, they should help developing countries seek a balance between energy transformation and economic growth, provide funding, experience, and technical support, and achieve global climate goals in a fair and just manner." Hu Bin said.

However, the huge climate funding gap has always been a challenge. According to calculations, in an average scenario, to achieve a path of 1.5 ℃, annual climate financing investment needs to increase by more than six times, reaching nearly 9 trillion US dollars by 2030 and another 10 trillion US dollars by 2050. Meanwhile, adaptation funds are still insufficient, and the global adaptation funding gap is still widening.

This latest global climate report indicates that the Earth has sent a distress signal, with climate change indicators reaching "explosive" levels in 2023, and all major indicators sounding the alarm.

Hu Bin said, "I hope this report can be given enough attention, effectively raise people's awareness of the urgency of climate action, and truly take action and fulfill the commitments made."

最新全球气候状况报告出炉，印证2023年为有记录以来最热年份

在3月23日世界气象日到来之际，世界气象组织（WMO）日前发布《2023年全球气候状况》报告。报告显示，2023年，全球温室气体浓度、地表温度、海洋热量和酸化、海平面上升、南极海冰面积和冰川消融等多项气候变化指标创下新纪录。

报告说，2023年是有记录以来最热的一年，过去10年是有记录以来最热的10年。

今年1月上任的WMO秘书长塞莱斯特·索洛表示：“我们正在向全世界发出红色警报。我们在2023年看到的情况，尤其是前所未有的海水升温、海冰面积和冰川消融，尤其令人担忧。”

全球近地表平均温度比工业化前基线高出1.45℃

报告称，2023年的全球近地表平均温度比工业化前1850-1900年的平均水平高1.45 ± 0.12℃。2023年是174年观测记录中最暖的一年。这打破了之前最暖年份的记录，即比1850-1900年平均水平高1.29±0.12℃的2016年和高1.27±0.13℃的2020年。

同时，2014-2023年的十年全球平均温度比1850-1900年的平均水平高出1.20±0.12℃。从全球来看，从6月到12月，每个月的温度都创下了该月的最高纪录。要特别指出的是，2023年9月的温度远远超过了之前9月份的全球纪录（0.46至0.54℃）。

不管是1.45℃还是1.2℃，都意味着警报响起，气候危机无疑是人类面临的一个决定性挑战。

清华大学气候变化与可持续发展研究院全球气候治理研究主任胡彬表示，1.45℃离《巴黎协定》设定的温升上限目标1.5℃已经非常接近，同时近十年的全球平均温度高出1.2℃表明2023年的高温并不是偶发现象，而是趋势性的增长。

2023年，平均到每天而言，全球近三分之一的海洋受到海洋热浪的侵袭，重要的生态系统和食物系统受到损害。到2023年年底，超过90%的海洋在这一年的某个时间经历过热浪条件。

据初步数据显示，在北美西部和欧洲极度融化的推动下，全球一组基准冰川遭受了有记录以来（自1950年以来）最大的冰量损失。

极端天气和气候事件对所有有人居住的大陆都产生了重大的社会经济影响。根据这份报告，2023年，热浪、洪水、干旱、野火等影响了数百万人的日常生活，造成了数十亿美元的经济损失。

胡彬说：“越来越多的证据表明气候变化被认为是导致极端气候事件频发的主要推手，因此气候变化给全球经济带来的严重影响已经不容忽视。”

可再生能源转型能否带来希望？

可再生能源发电主要由太阳辐射、风和水循环的动态力量驱动，因其具有实现去碳化目标的潜力而跃居气候行动的前沿。2023年，可再生能源的新增容量比2022年增加了近50%，总发电能力达到510千兆瓦（GW），这是过去二十年中观测到的最高速度。

这从一定程度上表明，有潜力实现 COP28上设定的清洁能源目标，即到2030年将全球可再生能源装机容量增加两倍，达到11000千兆瓦。

本周召开的哥本哈根气候部长级会议，来自世界各地的气候领导人和部长们将自迪拜COP28以来首次齐聚一堂，推动加快气候行动。

胡彬表示，哥本哈根气候部长级会议将推动各国加速落实COP28达成的“阿联酋共识”，尤其在气候变化不断加剧的背景下，各国应加强国际合作才能共同应对挑战。

不可否认的是，全球温度的长期上升离不开大气中温室气体浓度的增加。

报告说，数据显示，2023年，二氧化碳（CO2）、甲烷（CH4）和一氧化二氮（N2O）这3种主要温室气体的浓度在2022年创纪录的水平上继续上升，其中CO2的浓度水平比工业化前水平高50%。

众所周知，CO2的寿命很长，这意味着在未来许多年里，温度将继续上升。

“碳中和已成为全球共识，各国应务实推进低碳转型，发达国家要率先加速减排并提前实现碳中和的目标，同时帮助发展中国家寻求能源转型与经济增长之间的平衡，提供资金、经验和技术支持，以公平公正的方式实现全球气候目标。”胡彬说。

但是，气候资金缺口巨大一直是面临的一个难题。据测算，在平均情景下，要实现1.5℃的路径，每年的气候融资投资需要增长六倍以上，到2030年达到近9万亿美元，到2050年再增长到10万亿美元。 同时，适应资金仍然不足，全球适应资金缺口仍在扩大。

这份最新的全球气候状况报告表明，地球发出了求救信号，2023年气候变化指标达“爆表”水平，所有主要指标都在拉响警报。

胡彬表示，“希望这份报告能够引起足够重视，切实提高人们对气候行动紧迫性的认识，真正行动起来并践行所做的承诺。”