Global climate indicators deteriorate sharply over the past five years

New analysis of the five‑year period following the 2021 IPCC report shows that virtually every major climate metric has moved in a negative direction. The average global warming over the last decade has reached 1.26 °C above pre‑industrial levels, up from the 1.09 °C reported by the IPCC, and the rate of warming has essentially doubled. Simultaneously, the Earth’s energy imbalance has risen to almost three times the 1980s level, with oceans absorbing most of the excess heat, which will persist for decades.

Researchers attribute the trend almost entirely to human‑generated greenhouse gases. While aerosols from air pollution had a modest cooling effect, improvements in air quality mean fewer aerosols remain to offset warming. The analysis also finds that the margin for emissions reductions compatible with the 1.5 °C Paris‑Agreement target has virtually vanished. Global precipitation shows no clear overall trend, indicating regional divergence in rainfall patterns.

These findings reinforce the urgency of accelerating climate mitigation efforts worldwide.