Record temperatures persist as WMO calls for emergency services and increased investment
“Humanity is destroying the planet and must pay the price”, warns the UN Secretary General António Guterres replied WMOOur latest global temperature analysis from January to September 2024.
Youth-led drivers of change
In a powerful video message to 19th Youth Conference on Climate ChangeMr. Guterres emphasized their important role in promoting climate action. “As young people, never underestimate your strength. In your communities, on social media, in schools and on the streets – you are not just calling for change, you are making change happen.”
The Secretary-General’s support for youth advocacy is in line with growing evidence of the impact of the climate crisis, as heat-related hazards have become a leading cause of death. weather-related deaths globally.
The climate crisis escalates
WMO’s analysis, based on six international data sets, shows a worrying trend in rising temperatures. While the report highlights a number of success stories from countries such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Laos and Ireland in developing effective climate services, evidence shows that the climate crisis is escalating globally. bridge.
October 2024 marks the second warmest October on record after last October, according to ERA5 dataset from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
This alarming trend coincides with increasing disasters. From 2020 to mid-2024, heat-related hazards emerge as the deadliest weather threat, accounts for 57% of reported weather, climate and water-related deaths globally.
Services and investments
“In the face of unprecedented environmental challenges, Developing, providing and using climate information to support climate action has never been more important”, WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo emphasized.
Climate service status report highlights both progress and persistent challenges in providing critical climate information. Although one-third of the National Hydrometeorological Service (NMHS) now provides essential climate services, there remains a significant funding gap.
Of the $63 billion allocated for climate adaptation, only about $4 to $5 billion explicitly supports climate services and early warning activities.
“We need to make the necessary investments for a sustainable futureThe cost of inaction is many times higher than the cost of action,” Ms. Saulo emphasized, emphasizing the urgent need to support NMHS in developing early warning systems and providing services. about climate.
Ambitious goals for COP29
Leader to Baku to attend COP29 faces pressure to perform on many fronts. “Leaders must come to Baku with ambitions that match the urgency and scale of the challenge,” Mr. Guterres emphasized, calling for the development of new national climate action plans appropriate to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.
“Together, let’s push leaders to deliver,” Guterres concluded. “Let’s continue to fight for the future you deserve – and the humanity this planet needs.”
