Nasa confirms 2023 was warmest year on record

Union of Concerned Scientists calls for “massive” investments in climate resilience

Last year was the warmest on record, US space agency Nasa has said, with senior figures from the agency attributing the frightening temperature trend primarily to emissions of greenhouse gases from human use of fossil fuels.

Global temperatures in 2023 were around 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.2 degrees Celsius, above the average for Nasa’s baseline period of 1951-80, the agency said this month. July 2023 was the hottest month since record-keeping began.