June 16, 2022
According to a report by the United Nation’s (UN) World Meteorological Organization (WMO), four key climate change indicators–greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat, sea-level rise and ocean acidification–set a new record high in 2021. The past seven years were the seven hottest years recorded. The average global temperature in 2021 was around 1.11°C above the pre-industrial level.
In 2020, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 413.2 parts per million (ppm) globally, taking greenhouse gas concentrations to a new global high and continuing to increase through 2021 and 2022. Ocean heat exceeded its 2020 value, hitting a new record. The global mean sea-level set a new record high in 2021 as it rose an average of 4.5mm per year from 2013 to 2021 due to the loss of ice mass from ice sheets. Moreover, ocean acidity is currently at the highest it’s been in the last 26,000 years.
Did You Know?
The secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has proposed a five-point global plan to expedite the shift to renewable energy and urged countries to act together.
REFLECTION: Water Woes
Identify any 10 world cities that could go underwater if sea-levels rise.
