UN Secretary-General António Guterres, at the 2021 Petersberg Climate Dialogue warned that the Earth’s temperature in 2020 has risen to a record high in the past 3 million years, which poses new challenges for the global community on climate.

“Last year was yet another unprecedented period of extreme weather and climate disasters.  Carbon dioxide concentrations again rose to a new high – 148 per cent above pre-industrial levels. This is the highest level for 3 million years. Three million years ago, the Earth’s temperature was as much as 3 degrees hotter and sea levels some 15 metres higher. 

Last year was already 1.2 degrees Celsius hotter than pre-industrial times – dangerously close to the 1.5-degree limit set by the scientific community. 

Under current commitments, including the recent ones, we are still heading for a disastrous temperature rise of 2.4 degrees by the end of the century. We stand indeed at the edge of the abyss”, UN Secretary-General said. 

However, he noted, “But if we work together, we can avert the worst impacts of climate disruption, and use the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to steer us on a cleaner, greener path”.   

UzA