The 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), aimed at promoting global climate governance, is currently being held in Belém, Brazil. In recent years, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations have repeatedly reached record highs, global warming has continued to intensify, and extreme weather events have become frequent… United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning in Belém that climate warming could push ecosystems towards catastrophic tipping points, expose billions of people to uninhabitable conditions, and exacerbate threats to peace and security.
How High Are Greenhouse Gas Concentrations?
The latest “Greenhouse Gas Bulletin” released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on October 15 shows that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations rose to a historical high in 2024. Data indicates that when the bulletin was first issued in 2004, the global annual average CO2 concentration was 377.1 parts per million (ppm). By 2024, it had increased to 423.9 ppm. Simultaneously, concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide, respectively the world’s second and third most significant greenhouse gases, also reached record highs, with global annual averages of 1,942 parts per billion (ppb) and 338 ppb in 2024.
The bulletin states that continued CO2 emissions from human activities and frequent wildfires are responsible for this situation. Coupled with reduced absorption of CO2 by terrestrial ecosystems and oceans, this could lead to a vicious climate cycle. CO2 emissions not only affect the current global climate but, due to their long residence time in the atmosphere, will influence the climate for centuries. Sustained and expanded greenhouse gas monitoring is key to supporting climate action.
It is noteworthy that the polar regions act as stabilizers and amplifiers of the Earth’s climate system, playing a crucial role in global exchanges of heat, momentum, and moisture. The “Polar Climate Change Annual Report 2024” released by the China Meteorological Administration in April this year shows that in 2024, greenhouse gas concentrations in the polar atmosphere steadily increased. The development of the Antarctic ozone hole was relatively stable, while total ozone over the Arctic anomalously increased.
How Much Has the Global Temperature Risen?
According to the temperature control goals set by the Paris Agreement, the increase in global average temperature should be limited to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Earlier this year, the EU’s climate monitoring service, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), and NASA both released reports stating that 2024 was the hottest year on record.
According to the C3S bulletin, the global average temperature in 2024 reached 15.10°C, which is 1.6°C higher than pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). 2024 was the first year where the global average temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The “State of the Global Climate Update” recently released by the WMO further warns that with the trend of abnormal heat continuing, 2025 is likely to become the second or third warmest year on record. Each of the past 11 years (2015-2025) ranks among the eleven warmest on record, with the last three years being the three warmest on record.
How Extensive Are the Impacts of Climate Change?
Global warming directly leads to disasters such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, and also triggers more extreme precipitation events by altering atmospheric water vapor content. Extreme weather events, including high temperatures and heavy rainfall, are becoming increasingly frequent, causing catastrophic impacts on human society.
In its 2024 annual report, the international research collaboration “World Weather Attribution” pointed out that record global temperatures in 2024 directly increased the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall. Of the 16 flood events studied in this report, 15 were closely linked to abnormal rainfall caused by climate change. The over 20 weather events examined in another section of the report caused at least 3,700 deaths and displaced millions of people.
The “State of the Global Climate Update” notes that as of August 2025, various extreme weather and climate events—from severe rainstorms and floods to extreme heat and wildfires—have had cascading impacts on lives, livelihoods, and food systems globally, leading to population displacement in several regions and hindering sustainable development and economic progress.
High temperatures are also causing profound disruption to ecosystems and environmental balance. Experts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned in May 2024 that global coral bleaching is expanding and deepening in scope due to record-high ocean temperatures.
How Should Humanity Respond?
Climate change is a global challenge that requires a collective response from the international community. Behind the rise in global average temperatures and the frequency of extreme weather, human-induced climate change is the primary driver. Therefore, reducing global greenhouse gas emissions is a matter of urgency.
COP30, currently underway in Belém, represents an opportunity for the international community to further build consensus and promote a just transition in global climate governance. As the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement approaches, whether countries can translate their emission reduction commitments into tangible actions is crucial not only for achieving temperature control goals but will also profoundly impact humanity’s future.
Developed countries should assume historical responsibility, take the lead in making substantial and rapid emission reductions, and provide financial, technological, and capacity-building support to developing countries.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, stated in his opening speech at COP30 on November 10 that the journey to address the climate crisis remains long, and the world must forge ahead with greater speed in both emission reduction and enhancing resilience.
In his speech at the Belém Climate Summit on November 6, António Guterres called on all countries to act swiftly and strive to reverse the current passive situation. He stated that if large-scale action is taken immediately, it would be possible to minimize the extent of warming, shorten its duration, and bring the temperature increase back below 1.5°C by the end of this century. “The climate crisis is accelerating,” Guterres said, urging all parties to choose to “make Belém a turning point.”