Global Climate Report Warns of Record Emissions and Accelerating Warming

A new edition of the Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report, compiled by more than 70 scientists from 56 institutions in 17 countries and published in *Earth System Science Data*, finds that human‑driven warming reached 1.37 °C above pre‑industrial levels in 2025. The authors say the world could exceed the 1.5 °C threshold in roughly four years if current emission trends continue.

The study records a historic peak in greenhouse‑gas emissions of 56.8 gigatonnes CO₂‑equivalent in 2024, with fossil‑fuel combustion remaining the main source. It also documents a record energy imbalance—doubling over recent decades—as the planet absorbs more solar energy than it radiates back to space.

Consequences include a global mean sea‑level rise of 23 cm above early‑20th‑century levels in 2025 and a sharp increase in coastal flooding. For the first time the report tracks marine heatwaves, noting 65 days in 2025 and a more‑than‑triple rise in frequency since the early 1990s. Scientists quote Samantha Burgess: “Our study shows that almost all warming in the last decade is due to human activities,” and Matt Palmer: “It all comes down to a simple principle: we are emitting more greenhouse gases than ever, trapping more heat and tipping the planet’s balance.”