Climate ‘Emergency’: Earth’s energy imbalance hits record as warming accelerates

The world’s climate system is slipping further out of balance, with new data showing that the planet is now storing more heat than at any point in modern records — a shift scientists say will have consequences lasting centuries.

The State of the Climate report released Monday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations body, finds that the past decade was the hottest ever recorded, with 2015–2025 marking an unbroken run of extreme temperatures. The year 2025 ranked among the top three warmest years, with global temperatures about 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels.

But the more alarming signal lies beneath the surface: Earth’s “energy imbalance” — the gap between heat entering and leaving the planet — has reached a new high.

“The State of the Global Climate is in a state of emergency. Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits,” said António Guterres.

Oceans absorbing the shock — for now

More than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is being absorbed by the oceans, effectively buffering temperatures on land. Over the past two decades, oceans have taken in heat equivalent to roughly 18 times total annual human energy consumption each year.

That buffer, however, comes at a cost. Ocean heat content hit a record high in 2025, with warming rates more than doubling since the early 2000s. Scientists warn this is driving marine heatwaves, stronger storms, and long-term sea level rise.

“The ocean is buying us time — but not indefinitely,” the report suggests, noting that warming and acidification are already disrupting ecosystems and fisheries.

The report also shows accelerating ice melt. Arctic sea ice levels are near record lows, Antarctic ice is shrinking, and glaciers from Iceland to North America are losing mass at alarming rates.

Global sea levels are now about 11 centimetres higher than in 1993, with the pace of rise increasing in recent years.

According to projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, these changes are effectively irreversible on timescales spanning centuries to millennia.

Extreme weather hits economies

The warming trend is already translating into economic and social shocks. In 2025 alone, heatwaves, floods, storms and wildfires killed thousands, displaced millions and caused billions of dollars in losses.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said human activity — particularly fossil fuel emissions — is disrupting the planet’s natural equilibrium at an accelerating pace.

“On a day-to-day basis, our weather has become more extreme,” she said.

The report highlights growing risks to food systems, labour productivity and public health. Rising temperatures are intensifying heat stress, with more than one-third of the global workforce now exposed to dangerous conditions annually.

Climate risks spill into health and security

Climate change is also reshaping disease patterns. Mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue are spreading into new regions, while heat-related health risks are increasing sharply, the report says.

At the same time, climate-driven shocks are feeding into displacement, food insecurity and instability, particularly in fragile regions.

Guterres linked the crisis directly to fossil fuel dependence, warning that “climate chaos is accelerating and delay is deadly.”

The WMO report, released to mark World Meteorological Day, underscores a central message: the longer emissions remain high, the more severe — and lasting — the damage.

Even if warming slows, the heat already stored in oceans, land and ice ensures that impacts will continue to unfold for generations.