Highlights:

The publication provides a summary on the state of the climate indicators in 2023 with sections on key climate indicators, extreme events and impacts. The indicators include global temperatures, greenhouse gas concentration, ocean heat content, sea level rise, ocean acidification, Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, Greenland ice sheet and glaciers and snow cover, precipitation and stratospheric ozone, with an analysis of major drivers of inter-annual climate variability during the year including the El Niño Southern Oscillation and other ocean and atmospheric indices. The highlighted extreme events include those related to tropical cyclones and wind storms; flooding, drought and extreme heat and cold events. The publication also provides most recent finding on climate related risks and impacts including on food security and population displacement.

Key message:

• State of Global Climate report confirms 2023 as hottest year on record by clear margin
• Records broken for ocean heat, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice loss and glacier retreat
• Extreme weather undermines socio-economic development
• Renewable energy transition provides hope
• Cost of climate inaction is higher than cost of climate action

Food Security:

The report contains a section about food security.

Food security, population displacement and impacts on vulnerable populations continue to be of mounting concern in 2023, with weather and climate hazards exacerbating the situation in many parts of the world.

Globally, annual economic losses from climate and weather-related disasters have increased since the 2000s. Between 2007 and 2022, 88 post-disaster needs assessment surveys conducted in 60 countries worldwide showed that over 65% of losses caused by droughts occurred in the agriculture sector, including crop and livestock production losses. For floods, storms, and cyclones, around 20% of losses are in agriculture.