Scientists confirm that 2025 is one of the three hottest years in recorded world history due to ongoing fossil fuel burning, leading to global disasters that have claimed lives and caused countless damages.
On 29 December 2025, scientists from World Weather Attribution (WWA) released the latest analysis identifying 2025 as one of the three hottest years ever recorded. They noted that human activity, especially fossil fuel combustion, is a key driver intensifying global warming significantly.
The analysis, published in Europe on Tuesday, stated that this is the first time the global average temperature over a three-year period has exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set by the 2015 Paris Agreement compared to the pre-industrial era. Experts warn that keeping temperatures below this level is critical to protecting human life and avoiding global environmental catastrophe.
Although 2025 fell during a La Niña phase, which naturally cools global temperatures, heat levels remained high. Researchers attribute this to continuous burning of oil, gas, and coal, releasing greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere. Extreme weather events have caused thousands of deaths and economic damages amounting to billions of US dollars.
Scientists warn that the increasing frequency and severity of disasters are testing humanity’s capacity to respond, known as the 'limit of adaptation.' They cited Hurricane Melissa, which rapidly intensified beyond the ability of island nations such as Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti to manage the damage effectively.