2023: Hottest Year Ever Recorded, Scientists Warn
European Union scientists have declared that 2023 will be the hottest year on record, with global mean temperatures for the first 11 months surpassing the previous highest level by 1.46 degrees Celsius. This announcement comes as governments are engaged in discussions at the COP28 summit on whether to phase out the use of CO2-emitting coal, oil, and gas. November 2023 was also the warmest November on record globally. The EU scientists emphasize the need to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible to mitigate the escalating impacts of heatwaves and droughts. Efforts to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement are falling behind, and the EU has implemented ambitious climate change policies to cut net emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030.