Record level increase in greenhouse gas, surface temp, ocean heat in 2023: UN report

New Delhi [India], March 19 : Over 90 per cent of the oceans experienced heatwave conditions at some point during 2023, while glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice since 1950, according to a UN weather agency's report.
'The State of the Climate in 2023', released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on Tuesday, shows a record-level increase in greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover, and glacier retreat.
The WMO report confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline.
"Records were once again broken, and in some cases smashed for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat
and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat," the report said. It was the warmest ten-year period on record, the report added.
"Sirens are blaring across all major indicators... Some records aren't just chart-topping, they're chart-busting. And changes are speeding up." said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused misery and mayhem, upending everyday life for millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses, according to the WMO State of the Global Climate 2023 report.
Commenting on the report, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said: "Never have we been so close - albeit on a temporary basis at the moment - to the 1.5° C lower limit of the Paris Agreement on climate change."
On an average day in 2023, nearly one-third of the global ocean was gripped by a marine heatwave, harming vital ecosystems and food systems, the report mentioned.
"Towards the end of 2023, over 90 per cent of the ocean had experienced heatwave conditions at some point during the year," the report read.
" The global set of reference glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on record (since 1950), driven by extreme melt in both western North America and Europe, according to preliminary data," it added.
The report mentioned that the number of people who are acutely food insecure worldwide has more than doubled, from 149 million people before the COVID-19 pandemic to 333 million people in 2023 (in 78 monitored countries by the World Food Programme).
Weather and climate extremes may not be the root cause, but they are aggravating factors, according to the report.
"Weather hazards continued to trigger displacement in 2023, showing how climate shocks undermine resilience and create new protection risks among the most vulnerable populations," the report mentioned.
However, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of renewable energy generation, primarily driven by the dynamic forces of solar radiation, wind and the water cycle, which has surged to the forefront of climate action for its potential to achieve decarbonisation targets.
In 2023, renewable capacity additions increased by almost 50 per cent from 2022, for a total of 510 gigawatts (GW) - the highest rate observed in the past two decades, the report mentioned.
Saulo commented that climate action is currently being hampered by a lack of capacity to deliver and use climate services to inform national mitigation and adaptation plans, especially in developing countries.
"We need to increase support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to be able to provide information services to ensure the next generation of nationally determined contributions is based on science," said Celeste Saulo.