The world is not on course to deliver the Paris Agreement, the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned.
Its latest multi-agency report confirms that 2015-2019 were the five warmest years on record, with 2010-2019 the hottest decade ever recorded. Last year ended with a global average temperature of 1.1°C above estimated pre-industrial levels.
The findings show global mean sea level reached its highest value on record last year, while ocean heat at a depth of two kilometres was unprecedented. Above-average ice loss, ocean acidification, wildfires, tropical cyclones, heatwaves, droughts and floods were recorded, and greenhouse gases are estimated to have risen by 0.6%. The report also examines weather and climate impacts on human health, food security, migration, ecosystems and marine life.
WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said: “Given that greenhouse gas levels continue to increase, the warming will continue. A recent decadal forecast indicates that a new annual global temperature record is likely in the next five years.“
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