The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has sounded the alarm on global temperatures moving towards uncharted territory if action on human-made climate change is not urgently addressed.
The WMO’s latest Global Annual to Decade Climate Update for 2023-2027 found there is a major likelihood (98 per cent) that at least one of the next five years, as well as the next five-year period, will be the warmest on record.
There is also a high likelihood (66 per cent) that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year.
Climate councillor and professor of biology at Macquarie University, Lesley Hughes said it’s time to move away from fossil fuels to urgently slash emissions this decade and protect Australians from the worsening effects of climate change.
“The warning bells are increasing in volume for urgent action on climate change,” Hughes said.
“Australia is already in the crosshairs of climate change, we’ve seen the risks dramatically escalate over the past five years through multiple floods, the Black Summer Bushfires, and our last drought. Hitting 1.5 degrees even temporarily will only see these climate extremes worsen.
“We still have a window to drive global momentum towards a safer climate, but it’s clear the window is closing rapidly. This is a pivotal moment to accelerate climate action to protect ourselves from a future of catastrophic warming.”
Hughes said every fraction of a degree of warming matters.
“Governments must listen to the science and slash emissions this decade, and rapidly transition away from burning and exporting fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas- which are driving dangerous climate change,” she said.