The world just lived through the 11 hottest years on record - what now?
Nature • • world
Key Points:
- The past 11 years have been the hottest on record, with 2025 ranking as the second or third hottest year since climate observations began, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
- The 2025 State of the Global Climate report highlights record levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and ocean heat, alongside notably low sea-ice levels in both the Antarctic and Arctic regions.
- The report introduces Earth's energy imbalance (EEI) as a key indicator, revealing that 2025 saw the highest EEI since 1960, indicating an increasing accumulation of heat due to greenhouse gas concentrations trapping more solar energy.
- Experts emphasize that EEI offers a more accurate measure of long-term global warming impacts than surface temperature alone, as over 91% of excess heat is absorbed by the oceans rather than the atmosphere.
- Scientists warn that the recent rapid rise in temperatures and ocean heat signifies a new era of significantly higher global temperatures, driven primarily by human-induced climate change.
