The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning that Earth’s energy imbalance has reached a record high, with the planet being pushed beyond its limits. The latest State of the Global Climate report reveals that the energy surplus has accelerated dramatically, with oceans absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat, leading to unprecedented warming and extreme weather events.
The report confirms that 2015 to 2025 were the hottest 11 years on record, but the surface temperature rise represents only 1% of the total heat accumulating in the Earth system. The rate of ocean warming has more than doubled over the past two decades compared to the previous 45 years, with ocean heat content reaching its highest level last year.
Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have driven greenhouse gas concentrations to their highest levels in at least 800,000 years. This has disrupted the planet’s energy equilibrium, with the Earth’s energy imbalance increasing by about 11 zettajoules per year between 2005 and 2025—equivalent to 18 times total human energy use. Last year, the imbalance was more than double that average.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as a state of emergency, stating, “Every key climate indicator is flashing red.” The consequences are already evident in failing harvests, worsening dengue outbreaks, and more severe heatwaves, forest fires, and storms. Sea levels are rising at an accelerating pace, and sea ice is at its third-lowest level ever.
The report warns that the effects on oceans are not fully understood but are expected to be profound and long-lasting. Heat is moving into deeper waters, affecting circulation and locking in consequences for thousands of years. Near the surface, heatwaves and acidification threaten marine life, while melting ice reduces the planet’s ability to reflect solar radiation, further exacerbating the energy imbalance.
With the Pacific transitioning from a La Niña to a potential El Niño phase, further heating is expected. Dr John Kennedy, lead author of the report, cautioned, “If we transition to El Niño, we will see an increase in global temperature again, potentially to record levels.”
