Past three years were planet’s hottest on record

WorldEnvironment
14 Jan 2026 • 11:25 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • The planet experienced its third warmest year on record in 2025, marking the third consecutive year temperatures exceeded 1.4C above pre-industrial levels; only 2024 and 2023 were hotter.
  • Data from the UK Met Office, University of East Anglia, and National Centre for Atmospheric Science indicated 2025 was 1.41C above 19th-century temperatures.
  • Europe's Copernicus Era5 analysis presented an even higher figure, with temperatures reaching 1.47C above pre-industrial benchmarks.
  • Scientists confirmed that human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is the main driver of this unmistakable trend towards a hotter climate.
  • Experts warned that the world is rapidly approaching the 1.5C limit set by the Paris Agreement, with severe consequences for ecosystems and human systems if breached.

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