




























© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Hottest year in the last centuries
- The year 2024 was the hottest year on record. According to projections by the European climate service, global temperatures will surpass the 1.5°C limit, a critical threshold for climate change.
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Why 1.5°C?
- The 1.5°C threshold is a critical climate benchmark set by scientists. It refers to an increase in temperature compared to the pre-industrial era (1850-1900), a time before human activity started to significantly warm up the planet.
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Main cause
- Experts confirm that human-caused climate change, exacerbated by natural factors like El Niño, is the primary driver of rising global temperatures.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Getting warmer
- With temperatures soaring through the first 10 months of 2024, it was highly likely that the 1.5°C threshold would be broken.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
Record speed
- The previous record of 1.48°C (2.6°F) was only set in 2023, highlighting the rapid pace of global warming.
© Getty Images
5 / 29 Fotos
Historic mark
- This marks the first time a single calendar year has exceeded the 1.5°C warming threshold, according to data from Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program.
© Getty Images
6 / 29 Fotos
Who sets the limit?
- The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Nearly 200 countries, including the United States and China, pledged to limit global warming to 1.5°C under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
© Getty Images
7 / 29 Fotos
What did it say?
- World leaders agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to clean energy, and strive for net-zero emissions by mid-century.
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Global agreement
- Developed countries are also expected to provide financial and technological support to developing countries to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Alarming prospect
- If we consistently exceed the 1.5°C warming limit, we're headed toward a catastrophic future. A recent UN report warns that, without greater action, we could reach 3.1°C (5.6°F) of warming, causing increasingly severe weather events.
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
El Niño
- The El Niño weather pattern contributed to increased warming in early 2024. In the first week of November, global average temperatures set new records for that time of year every day, according to Copernicus data.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
How does it work?
- El Niño is a climate pattern that occurs when surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual. This warming releases excess heat into the atmosphere, influencing global weather patterns.
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
Sauna effect
- Although the last El Niño cycle ended around April 2024, heat trapped by greenhouse gases from human activities has kept temperatures stubbornly high.
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
La Niña
- A temporary drop in global temperatures could still occur in 2025, as scientists believe a La Niña event might bring a cooler phase. However, the exact impact remains uncertain.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
How does it work?
- La Niña is a cooling phase in the Pacific Ocean, often occurring every 3-5 years. It typically brings drier conditions, with occasional extreme cold spells—opposite to the effects of El Niño.
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
Pollution on the rise
- But concerns are still high, as greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere are still on the rise, and scientists warn it is likely only a matter of time before new records are set.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Why is the 1.5°C limit crucial?
- According to the UN, this limit was set because strong evidence suggests that weather events would become increasingly extreme as we approach 2°C (3.6°F), and some changes would be irreversible.
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
Extreme hot days
- Reaching 2°C could mean that even the warmest days would be, on average, 4°C (7.2°F) warmer at mid-latitudes (regions outside the poles and tropics). This would impact areas such as some US states and countries like Germany and the United Kingdom.
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Sea-level rise
- Ocean levels would be 0.1m (4 in) higher than at 1.5°C, exposing up to 10 million more people to even more frequent flooding.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
Coral reefs
- More than 99% of coral reefs would be lost, compared with 70-90% at 1.5°C. Not only are they home to a quarter of all marine life, but coral reefs also serve as a natural barrier against waves, storms, and floods, and act as natural carbon sinks.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Breaching the limit
- While breaching the 1.5°C limit in a single year is alarming, it doesn't mean the Paris Agreement goal has been broken. The goal refers to average temperatures over a period of 20 years or so, to account for natural variability.
© Getty Images
21 / 29 Fotos
Ready for the worst
- While specialists continue to advocate for meeting the ideal 1.5°C scenario, governments admitted when signing the Paris Agreement that the targets would not limit global warming to 1.5°C.
© Getty Images
22 / 29 Fotos
Surpassing all limits
- Current climate plans still sadly put the world on track for around 2.6°C (4.7°F) to 2.8°C (5°F) of warming by 2100, according to the UN.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Any hopes?
- All is not lost, specialists say. This could drop to 1.9°C (3.5°F) if all net zero pledges were achieved i.e. countries need to put in place more policies to achieve their goals.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Slashing emissions
- To stay below 1.5°C of global warming, emissions need to be cut by roughly 50% by 2030.
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
Promises
- At the 2023 COP28 climate conference, countries agreed for the first time to "contribute" to phasing out fossil fuels. While this is not a legally binding commitment, it represents a crucial step in addressing global warming.
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
Time for action
- COP29, held in November 2024 under the theme "Investing in a Livable Planet for All," placed pressure on leaders to take concrete action. This included implementing enforceable frameworks that hold countries accountable for their emissions targets.
© Reuters
27 / 29 Fotos
The only way
- Warnings and limits have been issued, but specialists and the planet demand action. "Stabilizing global temperatures by reaching net-zero emissions is the only way to stop adding to the costs of these disasters," says Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading. Sources: (BBC) (El País English) (WWF) (National Weather Service)
© Reuters
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Hottest year in the last centuries
- The year 2024 was the hottest year on record. According to projections by the European climate service, global temperatures will surpass the 1.5°C limit, a critical threshold for climate change.
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Why 1.5°C?
- The 1.5°C threshold is a critical climate benchmark set by scientists. It refers to an increase in temperature compared to the pre-industrial era (1850-1900), a time before human activity started to significantly warm up the planet.
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Main cause
- Experts confirm that human-caused climate change, exacerbated by natural factors like El Niño, is the primary driver of rising global temperatures.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Getting warmer
- With temperatures soaring through the first 10 months of 2024, it was highly likely that the 1.5°C threshold would be broken.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
Record speed
- The previous record of 1.48°C (2.6°F) was only set in 2023, highlighting the rapid pace of global warming.
© Getty Images
5 / 29 Fotos
Historic mark
- This marks the first time a single calendar year has exceeded the 1.5°C warming threshold, according to data from Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program.
© Getty Images
6 / 29 Fotos
Who sets the limit?
- The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Nearly 200 countries, including the United States and China, pledged to limit global warming to 1.5°C under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
© Getty Images
7 / 29 Fotos
What did it say?
- World leaders agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to clean energy, and strive for net-zero emissions by mid-century.
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Global agreement
- Developed countries are also expected to provide financial and technological support to developing countries to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Alarming prospect
- If we consistently exceed the 1.5°C warming limit, we're headed toward a catastrophic future. A recent UN report warns that, without greater action, we could reach 3.1°C (5.6°F) of warming, causing increasingly severe weather events.
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
El Niño
- The El Niño weather pattern contributed to increased warming in early 2024. In the first week of November, global average temperatures set new records for that time of year every day, according to Copernicus data.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
How does it work?
- El Niño is a climate pattern that occurs when surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual. This warming releases excess heat into the atmosphere, influencing global weather patterns.
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
Sauna effect
- Although the last El Niño cycle ended around April 2024, heat trapped by greenhouse gases from human activities has kept temperatures stubbornly high.
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
La Niña
- A temporary drop in global temperatures could still occur in 2025, as scientists believe a La Niña event might bring a cooler phase. However, the exact impact remains uncertain.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
How does it work?
- La Niña is a cooling phase in the Pacific Ocean, often occurring every 3-5 years. It typically brings drier conditions, with occasional extreme cold spells—opposite to the effects of El Niño.
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
Pollution on the rise
- But concerns are still high, as greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere are still on the rise, and scientists warn it is likely only a matter of time before new records are set.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Why is the 1.5°C limit crucial?
- According to the UN, this limit was set because strong evidence suggests that weather events would become increasingly extreme as we approach 2°C (3.6°F), and some changes would be irreversible.
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
Extreme hot days
- Reaching 2°C could mean that even the warmest days would be, on average, 4°C (7.2°F) warmer at mid-latitudes (regions outside the poles and tropics). This would impact areas such as some US states and countries like Germany and the United Kingdom.
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Sea-level rise
- Ocean levels would be 0.1m (4 in) higher than at 1.5°C, exposing up to 10 million more people to even more frequent flooding.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
Coral reefs
- More than 99% of coral reefs would be lost, compared with 70-90% at 1.5°C. Not only are they home to a quarter of all marine life, but coral reefs also serve as a natural barrier against waves, storms, and floods, and act as natural carbon sinks.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Breaching the limit
- While breaching the 1.5°C limit in a single year is alarming, it doesn't mean the Paris Agreement goal has been broken. The goal refers to average temperatures over a period of 20 years or so, to account for natural variability.
© Getty Images
21 / 29 Fotos
Ready for the worst
- While specialists continue to advocate for meeting the ideal 1.5°C scenario, governments admitted when signing the Paris Agreement that the targets would not limit global warming to 1.5°C.
© Getty Images
22 / 29 Fotos
Surpassing all limits
- Current climate plans still sadly put the world on track for around 2.6°C (4.7°F) to 2.8°C (5°F) of warming by 2100, according to the UN.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Any hopes?
- All is not lost, specialists say. This could drop to 1.9°C (3.5°F) if all net zero pledges were achieved i.e. countries need to put in place more policies to achieve their goals.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Slashing emissions
- To stay below 1.5°C of global warming, emissions need to be cut by roughly 50% by 2030.
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
Promises
- At the 2023 COP28 climate conference, countries agreed for the first time to "contribute" to phasing out fossil fuels. While this is not a legally binding commitment, it represents a crucial step in addressing global warming.
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
Time for action
- COP29, held in November 2024 under the theme "Investing in a Livable Planet for All," placed pressure on leaders to take concrete action. This included implementing enforceable frameworks that hold countries accountable for their emissions targets.
© Reuters
27 / 29 Fotos
The only way
- Warnings and limits have been issued, but specialists and the planet demand action. "Stabilizing global temperatures by reaching net-zero emissions is the only way to stop adding to the costs of these disasters," says Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading. Sources: (BBC) (El País English) (WWF) (National Weather Service)
© Reuters
28 / 29 Fotos
Scientists confirm 2024 breached 1.5°C global warming limit
Last year was the first calendar year to exceed the threshold
© Getty Images
Marked by natural disasters, political tensions, and wars, 2024 was a record-breaking year, but not in a good way.
Now, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record globally, marking the first calendar year in which the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C (2.7°F), a key benchmark for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
Human-induced climate change continues to be the main driver of extreme air and sea surface temperatures, although other factors, such as the El Niño, also played a role in the unusual temperatures observed throughout 2024.
What are the implications of breaching this limit in regards to the current climate crisis, and is there anything we can do to turn the tide? Click through the following gallery to find out.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU




































MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week