According to a report prepared by the European Climate Change Monitoring Service Copernicus (C3S), the year 2025 has ranked among the three hottest years in recorded meteorological history.
Deputy Director of C3S Samantha Burgess presented the findings of the "Global Climate Indicators" study on January 14, noting that "2025 was just slightly cooler than 2023, while 2024 remains the hottest year in all observations."
According to her, the past year marked yet another unique period in the climate history of our planet, as the average temperature was 0.01 degrees Celsius lower than in 2023 and 0.13 degrees lower compared to 2024.
From 2023 to 2025, the average temperature was 1.5 degrees higher than in the pre-industrial era
The analysis of the collected data highlights the escalating climate crisis: from 2023 to 2025, the average global temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by more than 1.5 degrees. This is the first time that such a level of heat has been recorded for three consecutive years, the authors of the study note.
If current trends continue, the threshold for allowable warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, established by the Paris Agreement of 2015, could be exceeded by the end of this decade—ten years earlier than previously expected.
Global warming continues
Although 2025 did not set records compared to previous years, the authors of the report emphasize that, in the long term, the Earth continues to warm. This process will persist even if there is a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as they remain in the atmosphere for a long time. "In the case of CO2, this can last for centuries," added Copernicus atmospheric service expert Laurence Ruile.
In some regions of the planet, temperatures below average were recorded in 2025; however, this is a normal variation in weather. "Cold weather in certain places does not mean that climate change is not happening. It is important to consider the global context," Burgess noted.
Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo asserts that the overall picture clearly demonstrates the ongoing global warming. "The world is rapidly approaching the long-term temperature threshold set by the Paris Agreement," he warned. "We will inevitably exceed this limit, and it is now important to determine how best to cope with its consequences for society and ecosystems."
