CATASTROPHIC floods, crop-wilting droughts and record heatwaves this year have shown that climate change warnings are increasingly becoming reality and this is "just the beginning", experts say, as international efforts to cut planet-heating emissions founder.
The year did see some important progress, with major new legislation particularly in the United States and Europe as well as a deal at UN talks to help vulnerable countries cope with an increasing onslaught of devastating climate impacts.
But the goal of keeping warming within a safer limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era appears in peril, with carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels -- the main driver of global heating -- on track to reach an all-time high in 2022.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned world leaders at a climate summit in Egypt in November that humanity faces a stark choice between working together in the battle against global warming or "collective suicide".
They opted to put off the most important decisions for another time, observers say.
This year UN climate science experts issued their strongest warning yet of the dangers facing people and planet, with a landmark report on climate impacts in February dubbed an "atlas of human suffering".
Since then a series of extreme events has illustrated the accelerating dangers of climate change, at barely 1.2C of warming.
Record heatwaves damaged crops from China to Europe, while drought has brought millions to the point of starvation in the Horn of Africa.
Floods super-charged by climate change engulfed Pakistan, affecting 33 million people and causing some $30 billion in damage and economic losses.
"The year 2022 will be one of the hottest years on earth, with all the phenomena that go with higher temperatures," said climate scientist Robert Vautard, head of France's Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute.
"Unfortunately, this is just the beginning."
This year is on track to be the fifth or sixth warmest ever recorded despite the impact, since 2020, of La Nina -- a periodic and naturally occurring phenomenon in the Pacific that cools the atmosphere.
When this phenomenon reverses, potentially within months, the world will likely climb to a "new level" in warming, said Vautard.
- Still polluting -
Economy-battering climate extremes, which amplified the energy price surge for many countries as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, provided the backdrop to last month's high-stakes UN climate talks in Egypt.
The negotiations did make history, with wealthy polluters agreeing to a fund to pay for climate damage increasingly unleashed on poorer countries.
Pakistani climate minister Sherry Rehman called the move a "down payment on the longer investment in our joint futures".
But vulnerable nations and campaigners said the conference failed to deliver on the emissions reductions needed to curb climate losses and damages in the future.
"COP27 tackled the consequences of climate change, but not the cause -- fossil fuels," said Harjeet Singh of Climate Action Network.
To keep the 1.5C limit in play, planet-heating emissions need to be slashed 45 percent by 2030, and be cut to net zero by mid-century.
At 2021 UN talks in Glasgow, nations were urged to ramp up their emissions reduction commitments.
But only around 30 countries have heeded that call, leaving the world on track to heat up by about 2.5C.
- 'Emergency room' -
Guterres decried the failure of the climate talks to address the drastic emissions cuts needed, adding: "Our planet is still in the emergency room."
A crunch meeting in Montreal in December aimed to address another existential crisis facing the planet -- biodiversity loss -- as human activity gravely damages nature.
Nations agreed on a roadmap to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening species and the land and ocean ecosystems that provide Earth's life support.
Guterres hailed the deal as a "peace pact with nature", but some environmentalists warned the plan did not go far enough.
A series of potentially crucial climate milestones will stretch through next year.
These will include spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, following "a formal request to look at the international financial system and to review the role of international financial institutions" from the Egypt climate talks, said Laurence Tubiana, who leads the European Climate Foundation.
The next UN climate meeting in November 2023 -- held in fossil fuel exporter the United Arab Emirates -- will see the publication of a "global stocktake" of progress on the 2015 Paris Agreement goal to limit warming to well below 2C, and preferably 1.5C.
Tubiana, a key architect of the Paris deal, said the talks in Dubai will likely be dominated by discussion of the oil and gas industry and its financial contribution.
The issue is likely to create "great tension", she predicted.
ETX Studio
Sun Jan 01 2023
![After year of climate disasters, world off-track to curb warming After year of climate disasters, world off-track to curb warming](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-01/61672530844_ICEBERG.jpg)
The goal of keeping warming within a safer limit since the pre-industrial era appears in peril, with carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels the main driver of global heating on track to reach an all-time high in 2022. - ETX Studio
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/41702437730_maut.jpg)
Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok
Enam orang ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok, Thailand pada Selasa laporan media tempatan yang memetik polis Bangkok.
AWANI 7:45 [16/07/2024] - Suspek dibawa ke lokasi | Selamat tinggal rakyat Malaysia | Harimau Malaya hilang taring?
- Polis sahkan suspek bunuh Kartini anggota polis.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
![Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-05/71683779541_TBNAJIBRAZAK.jpg)
Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum
Berdasarkan sistem e-filing mahkamah, rayuan itu telah ditetapkan untuk pengurusan kes pada 7 Oktober ini.
![Pangsapuri mewah bernilai RM1 juta menanti pemenang emas Olimpik Pangsapuri mewah bernilai RM1 juta menanti pemenang emas Olimpik](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721138010_HannahYeoh.jpg)
Pangsapuri mewah bernilai RM1 juta menanti pemenang emas Olimpik
Hannah Yeoh berkata Jawatankuasa RTG telah menerima tawaran daripada pemaju hartanah, Top Residency, yang berminat untuk menghadiahkan pemenang pingat emas pertama.
![E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721128633_MohdHidayatMohdSa.jpg)
E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi
Kerajaan juga harus wujudkan sebuah dasar yang jelas supaya kepentingan e-sukan ini mampu diperkembangkan ke masa hadapan.
![Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721122322_ZulkifliHasan.jpg)
Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism
Kerajaan sentiasa memandang serius terhadap penularan ideologi dan aliran pemikiran yang bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam seperti ideologi liberalism dan pluralism agama.
![Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/61710754100_MohdNazifuddinNaji.jpg)
Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM
Atlet di bawah projek Road To Gold (RTG) tidak mempunyai pilihan selain memenangi emas yang diidam-idamkan Malaysia pada Sukan Olimpik 2024 di Paris.
![KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-09/41693913999_RubiahWang.jpg)
KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan
Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Kedah (KEDA) memperuntukkan RM3.37 juta pada tahun ini bagi memastikan keterjaminan makanan negara.
![Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721021538_TBSHAMSUL.jpg)
Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia
Rang Undang-Undang Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia 2024 yang bertujuan menubuhkan MCBA diluluskan persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
![Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-06/51686368102_Pesawah.jpg)
Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen
Jika tiada kematangan dan keinginan politik, sudah pasti isu perubahan cuaca akan memberi impak yang sangat besar kepada masa depan negara.
![Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam? Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam?](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-12/61577024517_SingaporeBanjir.jpg)
Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam?
Menurut ramalan Pusat Penyelidikan Iklim Singapura, republik tersebut bakal mengalami peningkatan paras air laut sehingga satu meter menjelang tahun 2100.
![Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-03/81521630303_ClimateChange.jpg)
Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us
The worlds climate is changing for the worse, and humans are responsible for that. Lets dive into a touch of science to make sense of this.