Shocking data from scientists: The world is warming faster than thought

In the annual update of the “global climate change indicators” of the world’s leading researchers, it is stated that there is clear evidence that the planet is still warming, and that the threshold of 1.5 degrees could be exceeded in about four years.

Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, countries committed to limiting global warming to “well below” 2 degrees compared to the pre-industrial period, with an effort to keep the increase in temperatures to 1.5 degrees, in order to avoid the most severe consequences of climate change such as droughts, floods, heat waves and sea level rise.

The year 2025 is among the warmest in the history of measurements

A study published in the journal Earth System Science Data warns that the so-called “carbon budget” for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees could be used up in about three years, while the budget for 1.7 degrees could disappear in the next 12 years.

Greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main cause of warming, are still at a high level, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels. However, scientists report that there are signs of a slowdown in emissions growth, which is associated with the transition to renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and changes in the energy market.

Despite this, global warming continues at a rapid pace. According to the data, the Earth is warming by about 0.27 degrees per decade, and the year 2025 was the third warmest since measurements were made.

The sea level is rising at a record high

Professor Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Center for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds and lead author of the study, warned that key indicators point to accelerated warming of the Earth system.

“The Earth’s energy imbalance shows how much heat is accumulating in the climate system and is a key measure of climate change,” Forster said.

He added that this imbalance without human influence was close to zero, but has been increasing since the 1970s and is now at record levels, directly affecting the warming of land and oceans, as well as increasing the frequency of marine heat waves.

During the year 2025, as many as 65 days with pronounced sea heat waves were recorded, with accelerated ice melting and sea level rise.

According to Dr Aimee Slangen of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Marine Research, global sea levels have risen by around 23 centimeters since 1901, and are now rising at a rate of around 1.8 millimeters per year, with the pace accelerating further.

“That may sound small, but even such an increase increases the risk of flooding in coastal areas, especially low-lying ones, and threatens communities and ecosystems,” Slangen warned.

“Crucial years are ahead of us”

Dr Samantha Burgess of the European Copernicus Climate Change Service stated that almost all of the warming in the last decade is the result of human activities.

She pointed out that the consequences are already being felt around the world and will likely intensify further in the future.

“There are signs that the growth of carbon dioxide emissions is slowing down. That doesn’t mean we’re on the right track yet, but it shows that politics, technology and social choices are starting to change direction,” Burgess said.

She added that the coming years are crucial for the further course of climate change and that it is important to continue collecting and analyzing data.

Climate data under pressure

Burgess also warned that global systems for monitoring climate change are under increasing pressure due to financial and political constraints.

In the United States, during the administration of Donald Trump, the network of instruments for monitoring the deep ocean has been reduced, which has affected the availability of key climate data.

“Climate information has never been more necessary for public safety and adaptation, but the infrastructure that provides it is currently very vulnerable,” Burgess warned.

(Vijesti.ba)