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August declared the hottest month ever recorded
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- August 2023 tied as the hottest month on record globally, with average temperatures 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation unit.
- The extreme heat was driven by global warming from fossil fuel emissions and elevated Pacific sea surface temperatures linked to a strong El Niño event.
- Europe experienced its warmest summer on record, marked by heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts, underscoring the intensifying impacts of climate change.
- Global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record 54 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2024, increasing 0.7% from the previous year and pushing the world toward 1.5°C warming by 2030.
- The U.S. led the rise in emissions with a 2.2% increase in 2025, while China’s emissions grew slightly by 0.1%, India’s fell by 0.2%, and the EU’s emissions also decreased by 0.2%.
