Reports reveal worsening global climate

7th August 2014


Related Topics

Related tags

  • Reporting

Author

Lisle Erskine-Naylor

Global climate indicators in 2013 continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet, according to a new report from the American Meteorological Society (AMS).

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased by 2.8 parts per million (ppm) in 2013, reaching a global average of 395.3 ppm for the year, says the State of the climate in 2013 report. It notes that on 9 May last year the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded the daily concentration of CO2 exceeding 400 ppm for the first time since measurements began at the site in 1958.

Last year also provided further evidence that surface temperatures are continuing to increase. The AMS reports that four major datasets show 2013 was among the warmest ever recorded, with temperatures in Australia the highest on record. Data indicates that the globally averaged sea surface temperature for 2013 was among the 10 warmest on record, while the Arctic observed its seventh warmest year since records began in the early 20th century.

The global mean sea level continued to rise last year, increasing at the same pace (about 3.2mm a year) as that recorded anually over the past two decades.

Separate research, meanwhile, shows that weather, climate and water-related disasters are increasing. A study by the World Meteorological Organisation and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium shows that between 1970 and 2012 there were 8,835 disasters, 1.94 million deaths and economic losses totaling $2.4 trillion reported globally as a result of hazards, such as droughts, extreme temperatures, floods, tropical cyclones and related health epidemics. Storms and floods accounted for 79% of the total number of disasters due to weather, climate and water extremes, and caused 55% of lives lost and 86% of economic losses over the 42-year period.

New findings from European commission scientists indicate that climate damage in the EU could amount to at least €190 billion a year if global temperature increased by 3.5°C. Heat-related deaths could reach about 200,000, the cost of river flood damages could exceed €10 billion, and 8,000km2 of forest could burn in southern Europe, says the commission’s joint research centre.

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

Facing the climate emergency challenge in local government

It’s well recognised that the public sector has the opportunity to work towards a national net-zero landscape that goes well beyond improving on its own performance; it can also influence through procurement and can direct through policy.

19th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK’s new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements could create 15,000 hectares of woodlands, heath, grasslands, and wetlands and absorb 650,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s climate adaptation plans are ‘inadequate’ and falling ‘far short’ of what is required, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned today.

13th March 2024

Read more

Large businesses across the world are avoiding climate action due to fear they will be called out for getting their work wrong, according to a new Carbon Trust report.

29th February 2024

Read more

A thought-provoking discussion on how storytelling can change the world took place in Central London last night, alongside an exclusive sneak preview of an upcoming IEMA film series.

29th February 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close