It’s official: 2024 is the hottest year on record—and the first to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial temperatures. It’s another milestone that underscores how far the present climate has shifted from that of the past because of the continued burning of fossil fuels.

Danielle Alberti/Axios Last year was Earth's warmest on record, eclipsing 2023's record and for the first time exceeding the Paris target of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, the Copernicus Climate Change Service announced Thursday.

This record-breaking heat is primarily driven by humanity’s burning of fossil fuels. The warming won’t stop until we reach net-zero emissions.

Paris Agreement on climate change. But scientists say it is not too late to act.