Since the Industrial Revolution, average global temperatures have increased significantly. The last decade (2011-2020) was the warmest in history. 19 of the 20 warmest years ever occurred after 2000.

According to data from the Copernicus climate change service, 2020 was the second warmest year with the warmest summer on record. Most studies suggest that an increase in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity is responsible for the higher temperatures.

The global average temperature today is 0.95 to 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than at the end of the 19th century. For science, an increase of two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels is a dangerous threshold with catastrophic consequences for the climate and the environment.

The international community therefore agrees that global warming must remain well below two degrees Celsius. (More on europarl.europa.eu)