Paris Agreement

2023 was warmest year on Earth since direct observations began. In Berkeley Earth’s analysis 2023 was 1.54 °C above our 1850-1900 average, making it the first year above 1.5 °C. The extreme heat was due to a combination of natural and man-made factors, including global warming and an emerging El Niño event. 17% of the Earth’s surface had a locally warmest year, affecting 2.3 billion people, including significant parts of Asia, South and Central America.

The record-shattering heat over the summer has raised the possibility that 2023 could finish the year above the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement. Zeke Hausfather examines the nuances of tihis threshold across the different temperature reporting data sets.

Following the record-smashing summer of 2023, Berkeley Earth’s Zeke Hausfather explores the increasing evidence that global warming has accelerated over the past 15 years in this New York Times Opinion piece.