COP29 Opens Amid Record-High Temperatures and Alarming Scientific Warnings

As the COP29 climate summit unfolds, scientists warn of the rapidly worsening impacts of climate change, many of which are happening at a pace that exceeds past predictions. According to recent research, global warming may have already reached the critical 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. This revelation, based on Antarctic ice core data spanning 2,000 years, highlights the urgency of addressing climate action to prevent irreversible change.

This year’s data paints a grim picture. Scientists report that ocean warming is leading to increasingly intense hurricanes, with storms like Hurricane Milton jumping from a Category 1 to a Category 3 in mere hours. Rising global temperatures are also drying out forests and water sources, contributing to record-breaking wildfires and smoke toxicity worldwide. A recent study found that around 12,000 deaths in the 2010s were linked to toxic wildfire smoke worsened by climate change.

Additionally, coral reefs worldwide are undergoing their fourth mass bleaching event, and there are growing concerns over the Amazon rainforest, which faces its worst drought since 1950. The Amazon, often described as Earth’s “lungs,” is approaching a tipping point that could transform it from dense forest into dry savannas, with severe consequences for global biodiversity.

COP29 leaders are under pressure to agree on actionable steps to curb emissions and promote resilience against these extreme weather events. With record CO₂ levels entering the atmosphere due to weakened forest absorption, the message is clear: the time for global climate action is now.