According to the report from the European Climate Monitoring Service Copernicus (C3S), the year 2025 ranked among the three hottest years in the history of meteorological observations.
Deputy Director of C3S Samantha Burgess, presenting the new report "Global Climate Indicators" on January 14, noted that "2025 was only slightly less warm than 2023, while 2024 remains the hottest year on record."
According to her, the past year was yet another exceptional period for the climate situation on the planet. Average temperatures were 0.01 degrees Celsius lower than in 2023 and 0.13 degrees lower than in 2024.
The average temperature from 2023 to 2025 is 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels
The research data clearly illustrate the escalating climate crisis: the global average temperature in 2023-2025 was more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. "This is the first time such a level has been recorded over a three-year period," emphasize the authors of the study.
If this trend continues, the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius set by the Paris Agreement of 2015 could be exceeded as early as the end of this decade, which is 10 years earlier than previously anticipated.
The process of global warming continues
Despite the fact that 2025 was not warmer than the previous year, there is a long-term trend of continued warming of the Earth, as stated by the report's authors. This change would occur even with a sharp cessation of greenhouse gas emissions, as they remain in the atmosphere for a long time. "For CO2, this can last for centuries," explained Laurence Ruile, an atmospheric specialist at Copernicus.
In some parts of the world, temperatures below average were recorded in 2025, but this is a normal manifestation of weather. "Cold regions do not negate the reality of climate change. It is important to consider the global context," added Burgess.
According to Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo, the overall situation with ongoing global warming leaves no doubt. "The world is rapidly moving towards the long-term temperature limit set in the Paris Agreement," he warned. "We will inevitably exceed it. Now we need to decide how to optimally cope with the consequences of this exceedance for society and ecosystems."
