January 2025, a warning sign for climate change

January 2025 was declared the warmest January ever measured globally, according to data published by the European observatory Copernicus. The previous record, set in January 2024, was surpassed, despite the end of the El Niño phenomenon, which amplified global warming in the period 2023-2024.

• A new worrying climate record

According to Copernicus, the global average temperature in January 2025 was 13.23°C, 1.75°C above the pre-industrial level. This significant increase confirms an alarming trend observed in recent years, in which global temperatures continue to reach record levels. "January 2025 is another surprising month, continuing the record temperatures recorded in the last two years, despite the development of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific and their temporary cooling effect on global temperatures," said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), quoted by AFP.

• Exceeding the critical threshold of 1.5°C

The European observatory notes that this month was the eighteenth of the last nineteen in which the global average temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by more than 1.5°C. This is a wake-up call for the scientific community and for policymakers, as the threshold of +1.5°C is considered a critical limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. The agreement aims to keep global warming well below 2°C and to continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. However, reaching this threshold for a single month does not automatically mean that the target has been exceeded. According to specialists, such an increase must be sustained over the long term, for at least 20 years, for the limit to be officially considered exceeded. Currently, the average global temperature is about 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels, and estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that the 1.5°C threshold could be reached between 2030 and 2035, regardless of current trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

• Oceans, a determining factor in global warming

Global temperatures are strongly influenced by the temperatures of the oceans, which cover over 70% of the Earth's surface and play a key role in regulating the climate. Data show that sea water temperatures have remained at record levels since April 2023, thus contributing to the acceleration of the global warming phenomenon. In terms of ocean surface temperatures, January 2025 was the second warmest month on record, surpassed only by January 2024. However, Copernicus experts see signs of a possible slowdown in the transition to La Niña conditions, which could mean a smaller cooling effect on global temperatures in 2025.

• Outlook and urgent action

This climate development raises serious questions about humanity's ability to limit global warming and meet the commitments made under the Paris Agreement. With greenhouse gas emissions close to peaking but with no clear downward trend, experts warn that immediate action is essential to avoid irreversible climate change. The measures needed include accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources, reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable consumption. At the same time, governments around the world need to implement stricter policies to reduce carbon emissions and invest in green technologies. The fact that January 2025 was the warmest January on record is not just a simple statistic, but a serious warning. In the absence of concrete measures, the planet's climate future remains uncertain, and the effects on ecosystems and society could become increasingly severe.