The World on Track for Second Hottest Year on Record in 2025

# Avinash Sharma

New data published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) indicates that the year 2025 will be recorded as the second hottest year in history (tying with 2023). This confirms not just the temperature of a single year, but the accelerating pace of climate change and the serious situation of approaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement.

From January to November 2025, the global average temperature was 1.48 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level, perfectly matching the average for the entire year of 2023. However, the most concerning fact is the three-year average temperature from 2023 to 2025. This is the first time that a three-year period’s average temperature is seen to exceed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold of the Paris Agreement. In other words, it is the long-term trend, more than any single year, that presents the true picture of the climate crisis. This means the 1.5°C limit is not being temporarily breached, but is moving closer to being regularly exceeded.

The impact of high temperatures is not limited to the atmosphere alone. In November 2025, the sea surface temperature from 60 degrees south to 60 degrees north latitude reached 20.42 degrees Celsius, which is the fourth highest record for the month of November. Such persistently high sea surface temperatures can increase cyclonic activity and seriously affect marine life and weather systems. The situation in the polar regions is even more worrying: in November 2025, the extent of Arctic sea ice was 12 percent below average, the second lowest amount for November. Similarly, Antarctic sea ice was also 7 percent below average. All these statistics are evidence of a profound imbalance in the climate system.

These records are not just numbers, but solid proof of the accelerating pace of climate change. As climate expert Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts stated, “These milestones are not abstract—they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change and the only way to mitigate future rising temperatures is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” For the world to keep the Paris Agreement goals alive, revolutionary cuts in the use of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and gas are imperative. There is an urgent need to immediately take steps such as major investment in new renewable energy technologies, increasing energy efficiency, and conserving forest resources.

Finally, the temperature records of 2025 send us a clear message: the climate crisis is no longer a future problem, it is the stark reality of the present. Every hot year, every melted glacier, and every high sea temperature marks the profound transformation taking place in our planet’s system. This is not a time for mere words and promises, but a time for immediate and concrete action.