Earth in Climate ‘State of Emergency’ as WMO Sounds Alarm

Earth in Climate ‘State of Emergency’ as WMO Sounds Alarm

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The world’s climate is now “more out of balance than at any time in observed history,” the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned, highlighting record-breaking greenhouse gas levels and rising global temperatures.

In its annual State of the Global Climate report, released on Monday, the WMO said concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide reached historic highs in 2024, with levels continuing to climb in 2025.

The accumulation of heat-trapping gases is driving unprecedented warming on land and in oceans, intensifying extreme weather events and threatening millions of lives.

WMO Deputy Executive Secretary, Ko Barrett, noted that the period between 2015 and 2025 represents the hottest 11 years on record.

“2025 was about 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 baseline, bringing the planet dangerously close to breaching the 1.5°C threshold associated with severe climate impacts,” she said.

The report highlighted the devastating effects of extreme weather in 2025, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and tropical cyclones, causing deaths, displacement, and economic losses.

Barrett also warned of cascading impacts such as food insecurity, health risks from heat stress, and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

WMO scientific officer, John Kennedy, explained the underlying cause: “There’s less outgoing energy due to the increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. More energy coming in than going out means that energy is accumulating in the Earth’s system. About 90 percent of this excess energy is being absorbed by the oceans, intensifying marine heat and threatening coastal communities.”

He added that over three billion people rely on marine and coastal resources for their livelihoods, while nearly 11 percent of the global population lives on low-lying coasts exposed to climate hazards.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized humanity’s role in the crisis.

“Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium, and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years,” she said.

Reacting to the report, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Every key climate indicator is flashing red. Our global climate is in a state of emergency. Humanity has just endured the 11 hottest years on record. When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act.”

The WMO urged governments to strengthen climate services, improve data systems, and expand early warning systems to protect vulnerable populations and ensure better adaptation to rising temperatures.