This decade is set to be the hottest in history, the United Nations said.
File: The World Meteorological Organization said global temperatures so far this year were 1.1 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average between 1850-1900.MADRID - This decade is set to be the hottest in history, the United Nations said in an annual assessment outlining the ways in which climate change is outpacing humanity's ability to adapt to it.
Man-made emissions from burning fossil fuels, building infrastructure, growing crops and transporting goods mean 2019 is set to break the record for atmospheric carbon concentrations, locking in further warming, the WMO said. In October, the global mean sea level reached its highest on record, fuelled by the 329 billion tonnes of ice lost from the Greenland ice sheet in 12 months.And far from climate change being a phenomenon for future generations to confront, the effects of humanity's insatiable, growth-at-any cost consumption means millions are already counting the damage.
"Once again in 2019 weather and climate-related risks hit hard," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year outlined how vital it was for mankind to aim for a safer cap of 1.5C -- ideally by slashing greenhouse gas emissions and retooling the global economy towards renewable energy.
Even if all Paris pledges were honoured, Earth is still on course to be more than 3C warmer by the end of the century.
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