The year 2025 is likely to become the second or third-warmest on record, possibly surpassed only by 2024, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The announcement comes amid continued global climate extremes and political deadlock on emission reductions.
C3S data shows that this year completes the first three-year period in which the average global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels, set between 1850 and 1900, when large-scale fossil fuel burning began. “These milestones are not abstract – they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at C3S.
Extreme Weather Highlights Rising Risks
2025 saw severe weather events worldwide. Typhoon Kalmaegi killed over 200 people in the Philippines, while Spain faced its worst wildfires in 30 years, with scientists confirming climate change increased the likelihood of such conditions.
While natural variations influence year-to-year temperatures, scientists have documented a clear long-term warming trend driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions. The last decade includes the ten warmest years on record, the World Meteorological Organization noted earlier this year.
Paris Agreement Targets at Risk
The global 1.5°C warming threshold, agreed under the 2015 Paris climate accord, aims to prevent the worst consequences of climate change. Although technically not yet breached over decades, the U.N. warns the target can no longer realistically be met without faster CO2 reductions.
C3S’s climate records date back to 1940 and are cross-checked with global temperature datasets extending to 1850, ensuring robust historical comparisons.
