COP 29: WMO’s Stark Call to Action Amid 2024’s Record-Breaking Climate Events 

As COP29 gets underway at Baku in Azerbaijan The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of the Climate 2024 Update for COP, published on Monday presents an urgent narrative as the world faces unprecedented warming, rapidly increasing greenhouse gases, and devastating environmental and human impacts. 

Secretary General of the WMO Prof Celeste Saulo states “The headlines in the State of the Climate Update 2024 give cause for great concern. Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise steadily, driving further long-term temperature increases, highlighting the rapid changes in our climate system in the space of a single generation. We are on track for 2024 to be the hottest year on record joining 2023 as the two hottest years on record.”

“The record-breaking rainfall and flooding, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, relentless drought and raging wildfires that we have seen in different parts of the world this year are unfortunately our new reality and a foretaste of our future,” Saulo added.

Surpassing Historical Climate Records

The year 2024 is on track to become the hottest year on record, with global temperatures from January to September averaging 1.54°C above pre-industrial levels. This is part of a warming trend that has seen each of the last ten years ranking among the warmest since record-keeping began. WMO attributes the heightened temperatures to a robust El Niño event coupled with sustained increases in greenhouse gases. These combined effects have propelled 2023 and 2024 to record-breaking warmth, underscoring the urgency of mitigating temperature rise to avoid surpassing the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold.

Relentless Rise of Greenhouse Gases and Shrinking of the Cryosphere 

Greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—continue to escalate. CO₂ levels, currently at approximately 420 ppm, represent a 51% increase since the pre-industrial era. Methane and nitrous oxide, potent contributors to the greenhouse effect, have increased by 165% and 24%, respectively, compared to pre-industrial levels. The WMO warns that these levels show no sign of abating and have significant long-term impacts on atmospheric warming.

Arctic and Antarctic ice extents have fallen well below average levels, marking a worrying trend for the planet’s cryosphere. 2024’s Antarctic ice coverage hit record lows, with significant reductions noted since 1979. Meanwhile, glaciers worldwide experienced one of the highest losses on record, shedding ice mass equivalent to five times the volume of the Dead Sea. This massive melt directly affects rising sea levels, threatening low-lying coastal areas with intensified flooding risks.

Oceans Turning into Heat Reservoirs

The oceans, which absorb about 90% of the heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions, are warming at unprecedented rates. In 2023, the ocean heat content reached its highest levels, absorbing around 3.1 million terawatt-hours of heat—18 times the world’s energy consumption for that year. This warming has dual consequences: it accelerates sea level rise through thermal expansion and exacerbates extreme weather events by fueling storms, hurricanes, and other marine-based phenomena.

Extreme Weather and Global Impacts

2024 has been marked by extreme weather on an almost unprecedented scale. Key events include:

·      Flooding in East Africa: From March to May, intense floods displaced half a million people, destroyed crops, and led to severe food insecurity across Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia.

·      Wildfires in Chile and Canada: In February, Chile faced devastating wildfires that impacted 14,000 properties and caused over 130 deaths. Canada witnessed its second-worst fire season on record.

·      Hurricanes and Typhoons: Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic, wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, while Typhoon Yagi affected multiple Southeast Asian nations, leaving millions displaced.

These events illustrate the devastating human and environmental costs of climate change, from displacement and food insecurity to biodiversity loss and damaged infrastructure.

Drought and Scarcity of Water

The WMO’s findings on global water resources paint a troubling picture. 2023 marked the driest year for global rivers in over 30 years, with notable declines in river flows, groundwater, and lake levels. Reservoir inflows also decreased, affecting water availability for millions and exacerbating the challenges faced by communities in already arid regions.

Urgent Need to Strengthen Climate Services

As part of the adaptation strategy, the WMO highlights the importance of climate services—systems that offer advanced warning and disaster preparedness tools. The report notes significant progress: 108 countries have now implemented multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), and the reach of national climate services has improved dramatically. However, gaps remain in vulnerable regions like Africa and parts of the Caribbean, which continue to require support in developing comprehensive early warning and climate service systems.

Renewable Energy and Climate Resilience

The WMO underscores the role of renewable energy as essential in combating climate change. Recent reports in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reveal increases in renewable capacity, such as solar and wind, in regions like South America and East Asia. These shifts highlight the potential of renewables to both mitigate emissions and provide resilience against energy supply disruptions.

The State of the Climate 2024 Update serves as both a warning and a call to action. As climate impacts intensify, the WMO urges nations to adopt stringent emissions reductions, bolster adaptation efforts, and expand climate services. 

Reference: https://library.wmo.int/viewer/69075/download?file=State-Climate-2024-Update-COP29_en.pdf&type=pdf&navigator=1