Presents a comprehensive overview of the climatic conditions experienced globally in 2023. This year was marked by record-breaking climate indicators, emphasizing the urgent need for action against climate change. 2023 was the warmest year on record, with increased ocean heat content and sea levels.

Greenhouse gas concentrations reached record levels, contributing to global warming. Significant glacial and sea ice loss was observed, with Swiss glaciers losing 10% of their volume. Extreme weather events increased, impacting all inhabited continents. The transition from La Niña to El Niño conditions exacerbated the warming trend.

Emphasizes the global climate crisis and the urgency for action, stressing renewable energy, climate resilience, and sustainable practices to reduce emissions. The unprecedented 2023 indicators remind us of rapidly intensifying climate change, thus requiring swift global efforts to tackle this existential threat.

Overview

Global climate indicators

Outlines key metrics tracking climate changes. It shows the link between atmospheric composition, energy shifts in the climate system, and land, ocean, and ice responses. This section provides an overview of these metrics, highlighting climate elements’ interconnectedness and relevance to global sustainability and development.

1. Baselines: Baselines are fixed benchmarks used to compare current conditions. Different baselines are used for various indicators, with the most recent WMO climatological standard normal (1991–2020) being the preferred choice for consistent reporting. Specific exceptions include using a reference period of 1850–1900 for global mean temperature time series and the year 1750 for pre-industrial greenhouse gas concentrations.
2. Greenhouse Gases: Addresses the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, emphasizing their role in driving climate change.
3. Temperature: Global temperature trends are discussed, highlighting the importance of understanding changes in temperature patterns for assessing climate change impacts.
4. Ocean: Covers changes in ocean conditions, including acidity and temperature, and their implications for marine life and coastal communities.
5. Cryosphere: Examines changes in ice formations, such as glaciers and ice sheets, and their contribution to sea-level rise and other climate impacts.

Climate Monitoring and Renewable Energy

Underscores the intersection of renewable energy and climate action. It highlights the importance of renewable energy in climate action and sustainability and the need to consider climate variability to transition to cleaner, resilient energy systems.

1. Renewable Energy Growth: Emphasizes a 50% increase in renewable energy additions in 2023, totaling 510 GW, marking the highest growth in two decades, signaling a global shift to renewable sources.
2. Energy Transition: Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and water drive a substantial global transition. The IEA proposes this could triple renewable capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030, meeting international clean energy targets.
3. Climate Variability and Renewable Energy: Grasping the link between climate change and renewable energy is key for effective resource planning. It underscores the importance of considering climate in clean energy development, particularly in areas like Africa where energy access is critical.
4. Joint Publications: The “2022 Year in Review: Climate-driven Global Renewable Energy Potential Resources and Energy Demand,” a result of collaboration between WMO and IRENA, highlights the connection between renewable energy, weather, and climate, advocating for improved integration of climate variability in energy management.
5. Energy Supply and Demand Anomalies: Provides a case study on monthly energy anomalies in select African countries 2022, using indicators like wind and solar power capacity, hydropower precipitation, and energy degree days. It highlights climate variability’s impact on energy systems.

Extreme weather and climate events

Offers insights into the profound effects of these events on different regions worldwide. It underscores the extensive and severe impact of such events on global communities, emphasizing the significance of climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and sustainable adaptation strategies to tackle the challenges brought by climate change.

1. Global Impact: In 2023, extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and droughts impacted all inhabited continents, threatening water and food security and human welfare.
2. Specific Events: Mentions extreme weather events, including wildfires in Canada, Europe, and the U.S., which caused casualties, property damage, and air pollution. It also details flood damage from Mediterranean Cyclone Daniel in Greece, Bulgaria, Türkiye, and Libya, which led to significant loss of life.
3. Mediterranean Cyclone: In 2023, Storm Daniel caused heavy rainfall and devastating floods in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, notably in Greece, Bulgaria, and Libya. This led to significant casualties and infrastructure damage.
4. Impacts on Human Life: The extreme weather events in 2023 resulted in confirmed deaths and missing persons, with thousands of lives lost due to floods, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters. These events underscore the urgent need for preparedness, resilience, and adaptation measures to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events on human populations.

Socio-economic impacts

Examines the extensive effects of extreme weather and climate events on societies and economies globally. It highlights these events’ significant challenges to food security, population displacement, and vulnerable communities. It emphasizes the need for proactive actions, early warning systems, and collaborative initiatives to tackle the socio-economic consequences of climate change and foster resilience in at-risk communities.

1. Food Security Concerns: Highlights escalating 2023 food security issues, intensified by global climate hazards. The acutely food-insecure population has doubled since the pandemic, highlighting the need to address food insecurity as a crucial socio-economic challenge.
2. Population Displacement: In 2023, extreme weather worsened displacement caused by conflicts. The report emphasizes the relationship between climate hazards and population movement and the necessity for disaster risk reduction and early warning systems.
3. Humanitarian Crises: Extreme weather 2023 worsened crises, causing food insecurity, displacement, and losses. Vulnerable populations suffered the most, highlighting the need for targeted support.
4. Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems: Multi-hazard early warning systems are crucial for disaster reduction and preparedness for severe weather. It underlines the need to include climate info in these systems to enhance response and protect susceptible communities.
5. Global Hunger Levels: Shows high global hunger levels in 2023, with many undernourished. Climate change’s impact on food security highlights the need for sustainable solutions to global hunger and malnutrition.

The State of Climate Finance

Discusses the financial challenges of climate action and the importance of investments. It highlights the progress in climate finance flows, the existing funding gap, and the need for increased commitments and innovative funding mechanisms for global climate action.

1. Growth in Climate Finance: Highlights that global climate finance flows reached almost 1.3 trillion US dollars in 2021-2022, nearly doubling compared to previous years. This increase was primarily driven by a significant acceleration in mitigation finance, indicating a growing momentum in climate finance.
2. Financing Gap: Despite rising climate finance, a gap persists between actual flows and climate finance needs. To maintain a 1.5°C pathway, annual climate investments must multiply by over six, nearing USD 9 trillion by 2030 and an additional USD 10 trillion by 2050, highlighting the need for increased climate action investment.
3. Global Landscape of Climate Finance: Discusses the improved methods and new data sources in the Global Landscape of Climate Finance. This tool offers insights into climate finance distribution and highlights areas needing more investment.
4. Financing Sustainable Development Goals: Climate-related shocks affect multiple SDGs such as poverty, hunger, health, etc. This section highlights the link between climate finance, SDGs, and the necessity of tackling climate change for sustainable development.
5. Need for Increased Investments: Emphasizes increased climate action investments to meet targets like the Paris Agreement. Closing the finance gap and mobilizing resources for climate-resilient projects are key to a swift transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

Data sets and methods

Explains the data and methods used to analyze and present climate information. It discusses how to evaluate global climate indicators and their sustainability implications, emphasizing the importance of climate science in understanding climate impacts and aligning climate action with development goals.

1. Global Climate Indicators: Compiles climate indicators using data from satellites and networks. These metrics are crucial for assessing climate change and its effects on national growth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Interconnections between Climate and Development: Highlights the impact of climate factors on sectors like marine life and coastal fishing communities, emphasizing the importance of climate science for sustainable development and SDGs.
3. Baselines and Reference Periods: Discusses using baselines to compare current conditions. Various baselines over three decades are used for scientific and practical purposes. The WMO climatological standard normal of 1991-2020 is used mainly, except for specific indicators.
4. Greenhouse Gas Concentrations: Estimated from ice core bubbles, greenhouse gas levels have increased since 1750, providing a historical perspective crucial to understanding their impact on climate change.
5. Role of Climate Science: Emphasizes the importance of weather, climate, and water sciences in achieving SDGs and tackling climate change. Understanding the links between climate and development is vital for synergistic actions towards SDGs and climate resilience.

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