BERLIN, GERMANY – A new international climate report has sounded the alarm, indicating that human-caused global warming has reached a new peak of 1.37 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2025, with the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement now at risk of being missed as early as 2030.
The Earth is heating up at a record pace
The warming rate over the past decade has been a concerning 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade. An international research team attributes this almost entirely to human activities, pushing the critical 1.5-degree threshold into closer reach.
If current trends continue unabated, this mark will be surpassed in approximately four years. Scientists warn that the pace of warming is alarming and significantly faster than many had anticipated.
Greenhouse gases climb to new record levels
Global greenhouse gas emissions hit a peak of 56.8 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2024, primarily driven by the burning of fossil fuels. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose to 425.6 ppm, a 3.8 percent increase since 2019, with methane and nitrous oxide also reaching new highs.
A vicious cycle through cleaner air
Samantha Burgess from the Copernicus Climate Change Service warned of a worsening situation. Reduced sulfur dioxide emissions from air purification efforts are diminishing the cooling effect of aerosols. This leads to the Earth storing more solar energy than it radiates back into space, a phenomenon known as Earth energy imbalance, which has more than doubled in recent decades.
Sea level is rising ever faster
Since 1901, global sea levels have risen by 23 centimeters. In the last decade, this rise accelerated to 3.67 millimeters per year. Scientist Aimée Slangen from the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research cautioned that coastal flooding and threats to ecosystems are drastically increasing worldwide.
Oceans boil and extreme weather rages on land
The report introduces marine heatwaves as a new indicator, now occurring more than three times as frequently as in 1991. In 2025 alone, the world experienced 65 days of boiling seas. The average maximum land temperature between 2016 and 2025 rose by 1.92 degrees Celsius, nearly half a degree more than the preceding decade, making the heat life-threatening for humans.
Carbon budget melts away in three years
Humanity has only 130 billion tons of CO2 left to emit to stay within the 1.5-degree target. At the current emission rate, this budget will be exhausted in approximately three years. Chris Smith from the IIASA institute warned of potential data loss due to a lack of funding for satellites and measurement networks, which would further complicate political responses.
Renewables alone are no longer enough
The report clarifies that the transition to renewable energy and electric mobility will not be sufficient. Governments must significantly intensify their CO2 reduction efforts in the 2020s. Failures will have severe and irreversible consequences for future generations, as the time for half-hearted measures has passed.