The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared 2023 the hottest year on record. 

The WMO's provisional State of the Global Climate report reveals that, up to October, 2023 experienced a temperature rise of approximately 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 

Carbon dioxide levels have surged to 50 per cent higher than pre-industrial times, and sea level rise from 2013-2022 has doubled compared to 1993-2002.

“Greenhouse gas levels are record high. Global temperatures are record high. Sea level rise is record high. Antarctic sea ice is record low. It’s a deafening cacophony of broken records,” says WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“These are more than just statistics. We risk losing the race to save our glaciers and to rein in sea level rise. We cannot return to the climate of the 20th century, but we must act now to limit the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate in this and the coming centuries,” he said.  

Renewable energy capacity increased by nearly 10 per cent in 2022, led by solar and wind power, offering a ray of hope. 

The final State of the Global Climate 2023 report is expected in the first half of 2024.

Key findings include record-high concentrations of greenhouse gases in 2022, continued global temperature rise in 2023, and unprecedented sea level increases. 

The Antarctic sea-ice extent hit a record low, and glaciers in North America and Europe suffered extreme melting. 

The report underscores the irreversible nature of ocean warming and the escalating socio-economic impacts of climate change.

The WMO's call for urgent action aligns with the UN's efforts to limit temperature rise and phase out fossil fuels.