The year 2023 will go down in history as the hottest year in the history of our planet. According to the European Copernicus Observatory, the average temperature of the past year exceeded that of the pre-industrial era by 1.48°C. This new record once again confirms the urgency of the climate situation and the need to act quickly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The consequences of this rise in temperatures were dramatic. The massive fires that ravaged Canada, the extreme droughts in East Africa and the Middle East, the record heatwaves in Europe, the United States and China, the devastating floods, the strengthened hurricanes… so many disasters that marked the year 2023.
And unfortunately this is not about to stop. According to Copernicus, the mark of 1.5°C of warming over 12 rolling months should be reached as early as January or February 2024. This limit set by the Paris agreement is crucial to avoid the most serious consequences of climate change, but we we are getting dangerously close to it.
It is clear that revolutionary actions are needed to reverse this trajectory. The energy transition, with the gradual abandonment of fossil fuels, is a crucial step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But that won’t be enough. We must also rethink our consumption model, promote renewable energies, protect ecosystems and promote more sustainable agriculture.
The year 2023 should serve as a wake-up call. We can no longer ignore the consequences of global warming. Time is running out and every action counts. It is time to act, before the catastrophic future predicted by record temperatures becomes reality.