20-04-2021 )
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres looks at a chart showing rising global temperatures during a partially virtual press conference with Professor Petteri Taalas, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, about the report ‘State of the Global Climate in 2020’ at United Nations headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 19 April 2021. [EPA-EFE/JUSTIN LANE]
2020 was one of three warmest years on record, despite cooling La Niña
Extreme weather and COVID-19 combined in a double blow
New York/Geneva, 19 April 2021 (WMO) – Extreme weather combined with COVID-19 in a double blow for millions of people in 2020. However, the pandemic-related economic slowdown failed to put a brake on climate change drivers and accelerating impacts, according to a new report compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and an extensive network of partners.
The report on the State of the Global Climate 2020 documents indicators of the climate system, including greenhouse gas concentrations, increasing land and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, melting ice and glacier retreat and extreme weather. It also highlights impacts on socio-economic development, migration and displacement, food security and land and marine ecosystems.
The WMOâs State of the Climate report comes just before a global leadersâ summit, convened by the US president, Joe Biden, and as the UK prepares to host the crucial Cop26 UN climate summit in November, at which urgent action must be agreed to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris agreement, to keep the global temperature increase to well below 2C and 1.5C if possible. In 2020, the temperature was 1.2C above pre-industrial levels.
âThis is the year for action,â said the UN head, António Guterres. âThe climate is changing, and the impacts are already too costly for people and the planet. Countries need to submit, well ahead of Cop26, ambitious plans to cut global emissions by 45% by 2030.â
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