2023: Hottest Year on Record with Unprecedented Climate Events

COP28 Agrees to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels Amidst Rising Global Temperatures

2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, with heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions also reaching an all-time high. This has led to extreme weather events, including record-breaking heat waves, floods, and wildfires.
The COP28 climate conference resulted in an agreement to 'transition away' from fossil fuels, marking the first time such language has been included in a COP treaty. However, the agreement does not call for a complete phaseout of fossil fuels by a set date.
Germany shut down its last three nuclear power plants, fulfilling a pledge made after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. However, some critics argue that this has led to an increase in coal-fired power generation.
The EU passed a landmark biodiversity law requiring member states to restore at least 20% of their degraded land and sea habitats by 2030. The law also enforces a deadline to restore all damaged ecosystems by 2050.
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest dropped to its lowest level since 2018 in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first year in office. However, conservationists continue to call for stricter controls on the agriculture and beef industry in the region.