2024: UN President and WHO Highlight Climate Crisis in End-of-Year Warnings
2024 is on track to become the hottest year on record, marking the culmination of a decade of unprecedented heat, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The stark reality has prompted urgent calls to action from global leaders, including UN Secretary-General and WHO representatives.
In a New Year’s message, Guterres stressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “We have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024. This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed these concerns in their reports, emphasizing the profound human and ecological toll of extreme weather events. These events, including record-breaking heatwaves, floods, and wildfires, have not only claimed thousands of lives but also displaced millions globally. The WHO’s findings show that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, intensifying health risks and ecosystem damage.
The WMO has detailed the year’s climatic extremes in its report, When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather, showing how climate change amplified 26 of the 29 weather events studied. These findings underscore the urgent need for clean energy solutions and global cooperation to mitigate future crises.
Despite the dire warnings, there are glimmers of hope. The adoption of the Pact for the Future at COP29 has bolstered discussions on climate finance for developing countries, enabling them to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather. Additionally, initiatives like the WHO’s coordinated framework for tackling extreme heat and the UN’s upcoming focus on glacier preservation in 2025 aim to steer the global community toward a safer, more sustainable future.
UNESCO and the WMO are also advancing projects like the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch to enhance monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the link between urgent action and long-term planetary health.
As we approach 2025, designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, the urgency of collective responsibility remains clear. UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated, “If we want a safer planet, we must act now. It’s our responsibility. It’s a common responsibility, a global responsibility.” The year 2024 has served as a wake-up call, underscoring the need for an accelerated shift to clean energy and stronger global partnerships to combat the climate crisis.
