In News:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its State of the Global Climate 2024 Report at COP29 (Baku), warning that global warming is dangerously close to breaching the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement.

About WMO

• Type: UN Specialized Agency
• Established: 1950
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Membership: 193 (187 Member States + 6 Territories)
• Mandate: Meteorology, operational hydrology, and geophysical sciences.
• Reports Released:
  • State of the Global Climate Report
  • Greenhouse Gas Bulletin
  • Global Water Resources Report
  • State of Climate Services Report
  • United in Science Report

Key Findings – State of Global Climate 2024

Global Temperature Rise

• Current warming: 1.34°C–1.41°C above pre-industrial levels.
• 19 of the last 20 months crossed the 1.5°C threshold temporarily.
• 2024: Warmest year in the 175-year observational record.
• Projected crossing of the 1.5°C threshold: by September 2029.

Greenhouse Gases (2023)

• CO?: 420 ppm – 151% of pre-industrial levels (highest in 800,000 years)
• CH? (Methane): 1923 ppb – 266% of pre-industrial levels
• N?O (Nitrous Oxide): 335.8 ppb – 124% of pre-industrial levels

Ocean & Cryosphere

• Ocean Heat Content: Highest in 65 years – oceans absorb 90% of global heat
• Sea Level Rise:
  • 1993–2002: 2.1 mm/year
  • 2015–2024: 4.7 mm/year (rate doubled)
• Glacier Melt:
  • 2022–2024: Largest 3-year negative mass balance on record
  • Severe loss in Norway, Sweden, Svalbard, and Andes
• Arctic Sea Ice: Record lows for 18 consecutive years
• Antarctic Sea Ice: 2nd-lowest extent ever
• Ocean Acidification:
  • Surface pH falling fastest in Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Pacific
  • Effects irreversible for centuries

Extreme Weather Events & Displacement

• 2024: Record-high displacements from climate disasters
• Cyclones, floods, and droughts worsened food and humanitarian crises
• Worst-hit regions: East Asia, Southeast Europe, West Asia, Mediterranean

Reasons Behind These Trends

• GHG Emissions: Fossil fuel combustion, industrial emissions, agriculture, and deforestation.
• El Niño Effect: Warm Pacific currents intensified 2024’s global heat.
• Urban Heat Islands: Dense cities retain heat, increasing local warming.
• Ocean Absorption: Excess atmospheric CO? and heat absorbed by oceans.

Global Climate Governance

• UNFCCC (1992): Multilateral treaty for climate action.
• Paris Agreement (2015):
  • Goal: Limit warming to below 2°C, aim for 1.5°C.
  • Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
  • $100 billion/year climate finance pledge
• Global Methane Pledge (2021): Cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
• Global Ocean Treaty (2023): Protect 30% of oceans by 2030.
• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030): Forest and marine recovery.
• IPCC: UN scientific body for climate assessments (doesn’t conduct research).

India’s Climate Initiatives

Targets & Strategies

• Net Zero by 2070 (COP26)
• LT-LEDS (2022): Long-term low emissions strategy
• Updated NDC (2022):
  • Reduce GDP emissions intensity by 45% by 2030 (vs. 2005)
  • 50% electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030

Renewable Energy & Alliances

• International Solar Alliance (ISA):
  • Launched with France in 2015 (COP21)
  • Aim: Mobilize $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030

Afforestation & Ecosystem Protection

• Green Credit Program (2023) – incentivizes afforestation
• Ek Ped MaaKe Naam (2024) – tree plantation campaign
• NAP, CAMPA, Forest Act 1980 – promote forest restoration
• MISHTI (2023) – Mangrove restoration (?12.55 cr in 2024–25)

Behavioral Change

• LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) – promotes sustainable consumption

Challenges to Climate Action

Sector                        Key Challenges

Energy                       High coal dependence (>50%), renewable intermittency, grid gaps, foreign tech reliance

Urbanization         Rising energy/waste demand, land use conflicts

Industry                    Hard-to-abate emissions in cement, steel, transport

Agriculture             Fossil fuel inputs, livestock methane, fertilizer N?O

Finance                     Climate finance disparities; India criticized COP29’s $300 bn/year goal as insufficient

Equity                          Developed nations emit more, but developing nations suffer more

Greenwashing      Misleading climate claims by corporates/governments