NOAA, NASA Confirm Planet Endured Hottest Year on Record…Again. Fossil Fuel Industry, Policymakers to Blame.

WASHINGTON-According to data released today by independent U.S. government agencies NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2024 was the hottest year on record globally with ocean heat reaching record-breaking levels, as well. Several other global scientific agencies confirmed this finding and that it was also the first time that global average temperatures likely exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for an entire year. These statistics reflect a deeply concerning, long-term trend: the last 11 years have been the 11 hottest on record and each of the past six decades was hotter than the one before it.

Below is a statement by Dr. Astrid Caldas, a senior climate scientist for community resilience at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

"As a scientist exhausted from sounding the alarm hottest year after hottest year, I'm no longer just concerned about the climate crisis and its impacts on vulnerable communities but incensed at world leaders for their grossly inadequate climate action to date. NOAA and NASA confirmed that the last 11 years have been the 11 hottest on record. Will it take another 11 years for policymakers to heed the irrefutable science and address the devastation being experienced in the United States and around the world largely due to fossil-fuel driven global warming?

"Deadly and costly climate impacts, including accelerating sea level rise and record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, storms, and wildfires are mounting, and yet politicians stand by while heat-trapping emissions continue to rise globally. The science is indisputable: transformative and comprehensive global climate action, including a speedy and just transition away from fossil fuels and increased investments in climate resilience, is paramount to protect people now and foster prosperity for generations to come.

"The villains of this escalating tragedy are also clear with wealthy nations, the duplicitous fossil fuel industry, and spineless policymakers topping the list of those bearing primary responsibility for past and current global warming emissions and climate inaction. The biggest injustice is that the most vulnerable communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis have much to lose despite contributing the least to this problem."

In addition to Dr. Caldas, UCS has the following experts on staff who can discuss climate trends and other noteworthy scientific findings, including their significance locally, nationally, and globally; impacts on housing and insurance markets; actions policymakers must take to stave off the worst climate change impacts; the climate resilience investments needed to address unavoidable or irreversible impacts; and the science attributing climate impacts to major fossil fuel producers. UCS experts have extensive experience doing live and taped TV, radio, and print interviews with international, national and state media outlets.

• Dr. Marc Alessi, a science fellow at UCS. He is based in Syracuse, New York. Click here for his biography and here for his latest blogpost "Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?"
• Paul Arbaje, an energy analyst at UCS. He is based in New York City, New York. Click here for his biography.
• Dr. Rachel Cleetus, the policy director and lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at UCS. She is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Click here for her biography.  
• Dr. Juan Declet-Barreto, a senior social scientist for climate vulnerability at UCS. He is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Dr. Declet-Barreto is based in Washington, D.C. Click here for his biography.  
• Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, the director of scientific excellence and climate scientist at UCS. She is also a co-author of the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment. Dr. Ekwurzel is based in Washington D.C. Click here for her biography.
• Dr. Delta Merner, the lead scientist for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at UCS. She is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Click here for her biography.
• Dr. Carly Phillips, a research scientist for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at UCS. She is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Click here for her biography.
• John Rogers, a senior energy analyst at UCS. He is also a co-author of the book "Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living." Rogers is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Click here for his biography.
• Shana Udvardy, a senior climate resilience policy analyst at UCS. She is based in Washington, D.C. Click here to view her biography.

Contact UCS Climate and Energy Media Manager Ashley Siefert Nunes to speak with Dr. Caldas, who is based in Washington, D.C. and available for interviews in English and Portuguese, or another UCS expert.