The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) called 2023 the hottest year on record.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said this during the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, as reports “Bloomberg”.
According to the WMO report, during the first ten months the average temperature around the world was about one and a half degrees higher than in the pre-industrial period — 1750-1850. The Secretary General noted that this gives enough confidence to declare this year the hottest in the history of observations, even if it is still a month away.
"Record global warming should make world leaders tremble and move them to action. We are experiencing a climate collapse in real time, and its impact is devastating," Guterres emphasized.
The report notes that emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change have continued to rise even after reaching an all-time high last year. Global warming is intensifying and causing extreme weather conditions, species extinction and ecosystem destruction. And it also leads to food insecurity, deaths and forces millions of people to migrate.
"This year, communities around the world have been affected by fires, floods and high temperatures. Todayʼs report shows that we are in serious trouble," Guterres noted.
- The United Arab Emirates plans to use climate talks to conclude oil deals, despite a UN ban.
- Sea ice around Antarctica has reached a record low level. Researchers warn that such a situation will have a negative impact, in particular, on penguins that breed and raise young on sea ice.