2025 was third hottest year on record: EU, US experts

January 14, 2026 / 10:37 AM

Sharjah24 - AFP: The planet recorded its third hottest year on record in 2025, continuing an unprecedented run of extreme heat, with no respite expected in 2026, according to US researchers and EU climate monitors.

Last decade the warmest ever

The past 11 years have been the warmest on record globally, with 2024 ranking first and 2023 second, data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and Berkeley Earth showed.

Crossing the 1.5C threshold

For the first time, average global temperatures over the past three years exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, raising concern over meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Political and policy setbacks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that breaching 1.5C was inevitable, while efforts to curb emissions suffered a setback after the United States announced plans to withdraw from the UN climate treaty.

Regional impacts and outlook

Around 770 million people experienced record-high annual temperatures in 2025. Antarctica saw its warmest year on record, and experts warned El Niño could push 2026 even higher.

Emissions trends

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are slowing in developed countries, with emissions rising again in the United States and progress easing in parts of Europe.