2025 one of hottest years on record, scientists say

The world is on track to record its second- or third-warmest year in history in 2025, with temperatures potentially only surpassed by last year’s unprecedented heat, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

Scientists warn that the planet is now experiencing its first multi-year period above the critical 1.5°C threshold, signaling the accelerating pace of climate change, Reuters reports. 

The warning comes amid growing concern over the global response to climate change. Last month’s COP30 summit ended without significant new commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions, as geopolitical tensions and policy rollbacks slowed international progress.

"These milestones are not abstract – they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at C3S.

Extreme weather events continue to devastate communities worldwide. Typhoon Kalmaegi claimed more than 200 lives in the Philippines last month, while Spain experienced its worst wildfires in 30 years, conditions scientists say were worsened by climate change.

Global warming is driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Natural weather patterns may cause yearly fluctuations, but the long-term trend is clear: the past decade contains the 10 hottest years on record, the World Meteorological Organization reported earlier this year.

The 1.5°C threshold, agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, is considered the limit to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change. While the world has not yet exceeded this level on a long-term average, the United Nations has warned that meeting this target is increasingly unlikely without rapid emissions cuts.

C3S’s temperature records extend back to 1940 and are cross-referenced with global datasets dating to 1850, offering one of the most comprehensive views of the planet’s warming trend.

By Sabina Mammadli