Global warming continues to reshape every corner of the planet. No place is truly spared, from the highest summits to the deepest seas. The World Meteorological Organization released its 2022 assessment, detailing shifts across continents, oceans, and the atmosphere. Greenhouse gas levels remain elevated, trapping heat. Yet there is a glimmer of hope: the climate can be steered back toward stability, but action must start now as time runs short, according to scientists.
Earth has just logged eight of the hottest years on record, even against the cooling influence of La Niña over three consecutive years. In 2022, the planet recorded the sixth warmest year since records began in 1880, with Europe ranking among the warmest regions. Global averages have exceeded preindustrial levels by about 1.15 degrees Celsius, and when considering land and ocean surfaces together, the rise amounts to roughly 14.76 degrees Celsius in a historical sense. Heat is climbing as greenhouse gas concentrations stay high and intensify warming.
The WMO report highlights several consequences of the climate crisis. The rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993, a trend scientists expect to continue for thousands of years. Ocean warmth and acidity have increased, Antarctic sea ice reached new lows, and European glaciers melted at unprecedented rates. Heat waves, droughts, and floods affected millions and caused financial and humanitarian tolls around the world.
Fields in Orihuela illustrate drought impacts on agriculture, a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change.
protect the planet
In 2022, Africa faced persistent drought, Asia saw extreme rainfall, and Europe endured record heat waves. These shifts contributed to food insecurity, large migratory movements, and substantial economic losses worth billions. The question remains what can be done to set things right.
The WMO clarifies that the path forward requires clear climate emergency measures. It supports advancing the Early Warnings for All initiative to shield the most vulnerable from extreme events and emphasizes a transition to clean energy sources. As emissions continue to rise while the climate changes, populations worldwide experience more intense weather events and disruptions to daily life.
The report, developed with input from dozens of experts over the past year, also notes that dangerous climate events triggered new displacements, and the condition of many of the world’s displaced people deteriorated further. The impact on ecosystems is visible in natural rhythms, such as plant flowering cycles and bird migrations, underlining the broad reach of climate change.
climate indicators
The concentration of the three main greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—reached record highs in 2021, the latest year with consolidated global data. All three gases continued to rise in 2022, signaling persistent warming pressure.
Glaciers lost thickness markedly, with average reductions exceeding 1.3 meters between late 2021 and late 2022. Since 1970, the cumulative loss approaches thirty meters. Alpine glaciers faced historic melting, and Switzerland experienced an unprecedented summer melt event.
Antarctic sea ice dropped to historic lows, recording 1.92 million square kilometers on a notable date in 2022, with continued below-average extents through the year. Ocean heat content reached an all-time high, with approximately 90 percent of warming energy stored in the oceans, a factor that helps moderate surface temperatures but threatens marine life and ecosystems.
Mean sea level hit new record highs in 2022, with satellite records since 1993 showing a doubled rise rate from earlier decades. Ocean acidification intensified as carbon dioxide dissolved into seawater, lowering pH and posing risks to calcifying organisms and ecosystem services.
Representatives from environmental groups and researchers documented ongoing impacts, including protests and advocacy efforts aimed at climate justice and policy change.
Socioeconomic and environmental impacts
East Africa faced severe drought, with rainfall staying below average for five consecutive seasons and millions facing food insecurity by early 2023. In Europe, temperatures have risen more than twice the global average over three decades, contributing to heat extremes and health risks.
Record rainfall in parts of South Asia and Europe triggered floods that caused widespread damage, displacement, and significant economic losses. Persistent heat across several European countries led to thousands of excess deaths and stressed power and water resources.
Global food insecurity impacted billions in 2021, with hundreds of millions undernourished. Internally displaced populations grew in parts of Africa and the Middle East due to drought and conflict, highlighting the intersection of climate change and humanitarian needs.
Environmental changes include shifts in the temperate zone on key high-altitude regions and earlier bloom times for certain plant species, signaling broader ecological disruption. Insect migration and plant flowering patterns have shown disruptions, affecting pollination and food chains.
Cited report: World Meteorological Organization. The assessment consolidates the latest science and expert input to inform policy and public awareness.