Global Climate Trends

A data-driven look at where we are — and where we're heading

Temperatures, CO2, energy, and what the numbers mean

The Temperature Record

The global mean surface temperature has risen +1.3°C above the 1951–1980 baseline.

2023 and 2024 were the two warmest years ever recorded.

Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the one before it.

Data: NASA GISS

The Keeling Curve

Atmospheric CO2 has risen from 316 ppm in 1960 to 425 ppm in 2025.

The current concentration is higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years.

The growth rate has tripled: 0.8 ppm/yr in the 1960s, 2.5 ppm/yr today.

Data: NOAA GML, Mauna Loa Observatory

The Solar Revolution

  • Solar capacity grew 48x from 2010 to 2024
  • Module costs fell 90% in the same period
  • In 2023, solar added more capacity than any single energy source in history

But Context Matters

  • Fossil fuels still supply ~80% of primary energy
  • Global CO2 emissions have not yet peaked
  • Electrification of transport, heating, and industry is still early-stage

Unequal Impacts

Region Key Change
Arctic Warming 4x faster than global average
Small Islands 15–20 cm of sea level rise since 1900
Mediterranean Fire season 40 days longer
South Asia Extreme rainfall up 30%

The regions contributing least to emissions often bear the greatest costs.

The Footprint Question

Average annual CO2 per person:

Tons CO2
United States 14.6
European Union 6.2
Global average 4.7
India 1.9

Individual action matters — but systemic change moves the needle.

What the Data Says

  1. Warming is unambiguous — every dataset agrees
  2. CO2 is still accelerating — the curve hasn't bent yet
  3. The transition is real but too slow — renewables are booming, but fossil fuels still dominate

The gap between trajectory and target is a measurement, not a verdict.

Explore the Data

All visualizations in this document are interactive.

Sources: NASA GISS | NOAA GML | IRENA | IEA | Our World in Data

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