Humans are now warming the planet at double the speed
A fresh study just confirmed what many feared: humans are now warming the planet at double the speed — the detectable acceleration emerged in 2013-2014, with a rate of about 0.35°C per decade.
The researchers made sure to factor in things like El Nino and volcanic eruptions, so this spike isn't just a fluke.
Analyzes of 5 major climate datasets
Analyzes of five major climate datasets (including NASA and NOAA) find a statistically significant acceleration beginning around 2013-2014, producing the fastest warming rates in the instrumental record.
As of early 2026, the past three years have been the hottest three-year period on record; depending on the dataset and baseline used, annual averages were around 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels.
If things keep going like this
If things keep going like this, we could cross the crucial 1.5 degrees Celsius mark as soon as 2026;
one dataset (Copernicus) suggests the world could cross 1.5°C in 2026 if the recent rate continues, while the other datasets show breaches around 2028-2029.
This challenges old claims that global warming had "paused," and makes it clear: cutting emissions right now is key if we want to hit those Paris Agreement targets.