Context:
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2024 marks the first year to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming threshold.
More in News:
- In 2024, the average annual global temperature was 1.55 degrees Celsius higher than the 1850-1900 period.
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated that 2024 was the warmest year on record according to all six datasets it analyzed, though not all datasets showed the temperature increase exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth Observation and in-situ (non-space) data. The European Commission manages the Programme.
About Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S):
- Objective: This European Union program provides data and tools to monitor and adapt to climate change.
- Data Coverage: It offers global and regional climate information, including temperature trends, sea level changes, and greenhouse gas levels, using satellite and ground data.
- Applications: C3S helps with policy-making, risk assessments, and climate planning in sectors like agriculture, energy, water management, and urban planning.
- Open Access: The Climate Data Store (CDS) offers free, easy-to-use data to promote transparency and collaboration.
- Global Collaboration: C3S works with international organizations like the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to improve global climate monitoring and response.
2024: Warmest Year on Record
- At an average temperature of 15.1°C, 2024 was the warmest year in global temperature records (since 1850).
- 2024 was 0.72°C above the 1991-2020 average.
- It was also 1.60°C above the 1850-1900 ‘pre-industrial’ level.
- Experts believe that the current rate of carbon emissions suggests the 2024 temperatures represent a point of no return.
Contributing Factors:
- El Niño Impact: Began in June 2023, lasted into 2024, exacerbating warming trends.
- Combined with greenhouse gas emissions to break records.
- Sea Surface Temperatures (SST): Extra-polar SST reached a record high of 20.87°C, surpassing the 1991-2020 average by 0.51°C.
- July to December 2024 marked the second warmest period on record.
Implications:
- Point of No Return: Scientists suggest the Earth is on track to exceed 2°C warming by 2050.
- Highlights the urgency of reducing carbon emissions.
- Global Climate Policy Concerns:
- COP29 talks in Baku failed to agree on financial support for mitigating climate risks.
- Developing economies face disproportionate impacts without adequate support.
Paris Climate Agreement: Key Points:
- Adoption: Adopted on December 12, 2015, at COP21; came into force on November 4, 2016.
- Global Temperature Goal: Aims to limit global warming to below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Countries submit climate action plans, updated every five years, to achieve the global temperature goal.
- Differentiated Responsibilities: Recognizes Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC); developed countries are accountable for providing climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building.
- Long-term Goals:
- Achieve global net zero emissions in the second half of the 21st century.
- Enhance adaptive capacities and resilience to climate impacts.
- Finance and Support: Developed nations pledged to mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020, extended until 2025, for supporting climate action in developing countries.
- Global Participation: 195 parties have signed the agreement, with 194 ratifying it.
- Monitoring and Transparency: Implements a Global Stocktake every five years to assess progress and ensure accountability.
India’s Targets under the Paris Agreement:
- Emission Intensity Reduction: Reduce emission intensity of GDP by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
- Renewable Energy Capacity: Achieve 50% cumulative installed capacity from non-fossil fuel energy sources by 2030.
- Carbon Sink: Create an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2030.
- Net Zero Commitment: Achieve net zero emissions by 2070, as pledged at COP26 in Glasgow.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Align climate actions with sustainable development goals, focusing on energy efficiency, clean energy, and climate resilience.
Source: Reuters
Previous Year Question
With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
[UPSC CSE – 2016 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)