WMO warns Paris agreement in grave danger, urges swift climate action

The Paris Agreement is in “very grave danger,” and 2025 must be the year of decisive climate action to cut emissions and accelerate the shift to renewable energy, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary-general Andrea Celeste Saulo said on Tuesday.

Reiterating that 2024 was the warmest year on record globally, Saulo said, “Crossing 1.55 °C above the preindustrial era in an individual year does not mean the Paris Agreement is dead, but it means it is in very grave danger.”

Saulo was in New Delhi on 14 January to kick off the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) 150th anniversary celebration.

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is a landmark international treaty aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels, with efforts to keep it below 1.5°C.

WMO, the UN arm championing the framework for global cooperation to advance meteorological, climatological, hydrological, and related environmental services, last week said 2024 is likely to be the first calendar year to temporarily breach 1.5 °C.

Saulo, an Argentine meteorologist and educator who became secretary-general at WMO in January last year, said India recorded its hottest year on record in 2024, like many other countries.

“India suffered prolonged extreme heat, which greatly impacted human health, agriculture, water management, and energy supplies. Heavy monsoon rains caused disruption and death, as we saw with the tragic landslides in Kerala in July. More recently, air pollution hit alarming and dangerous levels in many parts of the country,” she said.

Saulo said “the WMO is proud to have worked alongside IMD,” adding that both weather forecasters “look forward to continuing their journey together to build a sustainable and resilient future for all.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, minister of earth sciences Jitendra Singh, and other officials were present during the event.

“The progress of a country’s scientific institutions reflects its awareness of science,” Modi said in his address, adding that research and innovation in scientific institutions are integral to “New India’s temperament.”

“Over the past decade, IMD’s infrastructure and technology have seen unprecedented expansion, with significant increases in the number of doppler weather radars…all of which have been upgraded,” he said.

India’s meteorology has advanced through space and digital technology, Modi said, noting the country’s two Antarctic observatories, Maitri and Bharati. He highlighted the introduction of supercomputers Ark and Arunika, boosting IMD’s reliability.

Modi also announced ‘Mission Mausam,’ underscoring India’s commitment to sustainability and climate readiness.