The Hottest Year on Record Explained by Martina Colman

In 2023, the temperature was 1.48°C warmer than in pre-industrial times.

If you think this is not good news relative to the Paris Agreement, where most countries pledged to limit global warming to below 1.5°C, then you will also be sad to read that the cyclical weather phenomenon called La Niña which was responsible for cooling and dampening the effects of human-induced climate change, ended in March 2023.

From April 2023 onwards, global temperatures reached exceptionally high levels. Last year was the first time on our records that every single day exceeded 1°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial levels. 

In fact, close to 50% of days were more than 1.5°C warmer than the 1850-1900 level, and two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2°C warmer.

This was the result of the twin weather phenomenon called El Niño, which temporarily increases the average temperature of our planet, in addition to the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and natural variations.

Though there is a good chance the world will get hotter than the 1.5°C limit due to El Niño, and that the Paris Agreement will be temporarily breached, for now however, we have not failed our mission. 

This means that we still have a chance to make things right. I encourage everyone reading this to continue taking action and speak out about this, especially when it comes to politics.

The world is in serious need of it.

– Martina Colman, Head of Climate Science and Engineering