• 2025 was the third-warmest year on record globally, just below 2023 and 2024.
• The period 2023-2025 saw average temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Human activity remains the primary driver of rising temperatures and associated extreme weather events.
• Climate models predict that the 1.5°C threshold could be permanently exceeded by 2030.
• Record high sea surface temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to intensify global warming.

According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), 2025 was recorded as the third-warmest year globally, with an average temperature of 1.47 °C (2.65 °F) above pre-industrial levels. This year was only 0.01 °C cooler than 2023 and 0.13 °C lower than 2024, the warmest year on record, highlighting a trend where the last 11 years have been the hottest ever recorded, as reported by multiple sources including ABC News, Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

This marks the first time a three-year average, from 2023 to 2025, has exceeded the crucial 1.5 °C threshold set by the Paris Agreement, raising concerns about the commitments of nations to tackle climate change. Experts warn that the continued human-induced greenhouse gas emissions will facilitate an eventual permanent breach of this limit by 2030, significantly earlier than previously projected, according to Le Monde, ABC News, and Reuters.

The rise in temperatures has been linked to extreme weather conditions worldwide, including intense heatwaves, and wildfires in Europe that resulted in unprecedented emissions. These climate-related disasters underscore the urgent need for robust action against greenhouse gas emissions, as highlighted by experts like Laurence Rouil from ECMWF, stating that "human activity remains the dominant driver of the exceptional temperatures we are observing," according to Anadolu Agency and Al Jazeera.

The ECMWF further notes that due to increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas levels and subsequent reduced carbon uptake by natural sinks, the warming trend is expected to accelerate, especially with ongoing climate patterns like El Niño contributing to rising sea surface temperatures. This trend is compounded by the reduced presence of cooling aerosols in the atmosphere, as noted by reports from Le Monde and Reuters.