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Climate change: 2024 must serve as a wake-up call

What you need to know:

  • We must keep the 1.5°C North Star within reach and hand down a better world; a greener, more sustainable and equitable world to the generations to come. The time for action is now!

The year 2024 has entered the history books for all the flustering reasons. With global temperatures reaching unprecedented levels, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has officially declared it the hottest year ever recorded. 

This milestone underscores the urgency of addressing climate change, as the planet edges closer to irreversible tipping points. The global average surface temperature was 1.55 °C (with a margin of uncertainty of ± 0.13 °C) above the 1850-1900 average, according to WMO’s consolidated analysis of the six datasets. 

This means that 2024 is the first calendar year with a global mean temperature of more than 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average. Fuelled by a potent combination of El Niño and anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change, 2024 saw extreme heat waves, raging wildfires, and prolonged droughts that have devastated local communities worldwide. 
Countries across Europe, Asia, and North America faced record-breaking temperatures, while the Global South bore the brunt of climate-induced disasters to wit; prolonged droughts, floods and landslides. 

In sub-Saharan Africa especially, prolonged droughts have deepened food insecurity, while Pacific island nations continue their existential battle against rising sea levels. The implications of this record-breaking year are staggering. 

First, the global economy is reeling from the financial toll of climate disasters. From hurricanes that cripple critical infrastructure to droughts that decimate agricultural out put, nations are spending billions on recovery efforts. 

Developing countries, often the least equipped to adapt, face compounding challenges of debt and displacement. To that end, Munich RE, a German reinsurance company, has reported that in 2024, natural disasters caused global losses of $320 billion, which was higher than the inflation-adjusted averages of the past 10 and 30 years. 

Second, ecosystems are under siege. Marine heat-waves are bleaching coral reefs, threatening vital biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions who depend on marine resources. 

On land, rising temperatures are disrupting habitats, pushing species to the brink of extinction at an unsettling rate. In 2024, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported a 73 percent decline in wildlife populations since 1970, citing climate change as a major contributor.

Human health is another major casualty of a warming world. Heat-waves are responsible for an uptick in heat-related illnesses, while the changing climate exacerbates the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue. 

Vulnerable populations, including children, women and the elderly, face heightened risks. 

These grim realities notwithstanding, 2024 must serve as a wake-up call. The science is clear: greenhouse gas emissions must be drastically reduced to avert the impending climate catastrophe. 

This demands transformative changes, from accelerating the transition to renewable energy to rethinking agriculture and urban development. 
Ultimately, as the global community prepares the third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0), we must act decisively to enhance global commitments and enable the attendant collective action. 

The stakes have never been higher! The hottest year on record is not just a statistic—it is a stark reminder of the urgency to confront the climate crisis head-on. We must translate the perpetual rhetoric into concrete action. 

We must channel global climate finance to where it is needed the most; in the global south where local communities are bearing the sharpest brunt of the climate crisis. We must make good our commitments, in full and on time. 

We must keep the 1.5°C North Star within reach and hand down a better world; a greener, more sustainable and equitable world to the generations to come. The time for action is now!

Howard Mwesigwa, howardmwesigwa25@gmail.