Climate Change Projections And Predictions For 2025
We have already seen the disastrous consequences of climate change in 2025, with the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles and California more broadly in what was supposed to be the wet season on the West Coast. But how else will climate change affect us in 2025? Let's examine the predictions that top scientists are making for this year.
American Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Agreement
One of President Trump's key first acts was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Adopted in 2016 by 196 countries, the Paris Agreement is a legally binding agreement in which all signatory nations commit to reducing fossil fuel consumption and adopting other solutions to keep global temperatures below 2℃. By withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, the United States signified it would not keep up its end of the bargain regarding climate change mitigation.
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More American Job Creation In Renewable Energy Sectors
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) allowed for more job creation in renewable energy sectors. Despite the change of government in 2024, the IRA remains in effect, and the areas that the federal government has most heavily invested in are red states. This means more American jobs are being created in renewable energy sectors, which is predicted to grow at twice the rate of normal job creation.
12 Million More Hectares Of Land Will Be Lost In 2025
In keeping with a yearly average, roughly 12 million hectares of land will become unusable for food growth due to desertification and drought. That's as much area as the amount of arable land in Germany.
Global Sea Levels Are Predicted To Rise Between 4.5mm And 5.5mm
According to data from the World Meteorological Organization, in the 30 years since 1993, the rate of sea level rise went from 2.1mm per year to 4.5mm per year in 2023. Scientists predict global sea levels will rise between 4.5mm and 5.5mm in 2025.
2025 Will Be The Hottest Year On Record—Again
For the 11th year, 2025 is predicted to break global temperature records. In 2024, 76 out of 243 American cities recorded record-high temperatures, including Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, and Houston.
Climate Change-Related Weather Disasters Will Only Become More Expensive
After the American government spent $27 billion on climate change-related disaster relief, 2025 has already blown that figure out of the water, with the Los Angeles wildfires predicted to cost between $250 and $275 billion in reconstruction efforts. That is likely a very conservative estimate, given that the fires are still burning.
The International Court Of Justice Issues An Opinion On Climate Obligations
In 2023, the small island nation of Vanuatu put forward a motion at the United Nations requesting an opinion from the International Court of Justice to establish a benchmark of climate action and accountability at the international level. This legal opinion is scheduled to drop in 2025.
MicroCarb Launches In 2025
MicroCarb is a British-designed satellite that's scheduled for launch in May 2025. It will allow scientists to measure atmospheric CO2 emissions and their sources with greater accuracy and detail.
AI Will Help In Wildfire Detection
Artificial intelligence definitely has a place in the fight against climate change. One such area is using artificial intelligence to help firefighters and departments detect wildfires before they become problematic. In British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, fire departments will use smoke detection cameras and gas sensors to detect wildfire smoke before a fire reaches uncontainable levels.
More Electric Vehicles On The Roads
It's no secret that EVs took the world by storm in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the rate of EVs in the market (and on the roads) is predicted to grow from 20% to 25%. Compounding this is the prediction that EV sales in 2025 will outpace internal combustion engines for the first time in history.
More Days Of Dangerous Heat Levels
For 41 days last year, heat levels rose above the theoretical limit safe for humans—around 35℃. The number of hotter-than-safe days in 2025 is predicted to be on par with or surpass this number.
NOAA Predicts Colder Than Average Temperatures Across Parts Of The United States
Of course, temperature extremes include not only the highest highs but also the lowest lows. At the end of January, a snowstorm battered parts of Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts wintry weather will also become more extreme in parts of the United States.
An Average Hurricane Season For The United States
On December 24, 2024, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), a website that tracks and predicts tropical storms throughout the year, released its prediction for 2025. The hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th and is predicted to be an average year for hurricanes, with seven named storms and three major storms predicted. This is a departure from last year, which saw 18 named storms and 11 becoming hurricanes, with five major hurricanes.
The World Will Add 20% More Carbon Capture & Storage Systems In 2025
Analysts predict 2025 will be a great year for adding more carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology worldwide. By capturing carbon released into the atmosphere, the world will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases it produces. 20% more CCS technology would be the largest annual increase in history.
Three Large-Scale Blue Hydrogen Projects Will Receive Final Investment Decisions From The US Government
Hydrogen as an energy source isn't going away, and the United States government is expected to approve funding—known as Final Investment Decisions (or FID)—for three "blue hydrogen" projects. Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas and carbon dioxide. However, it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during processing.
Debt For Nature Swaps Will Become More Popular
The concept of "debt-for-nature" is relatively simple: One entity purchases a portion of a government's debt, converts that debt into its local currency, and then invests that money in environmental initiatives in that country. Debt-for-nature swaps are not new, either. The first swap was conceived in 1987 between the Government of Bolivia and Conservation International, whereby CI bought $650,000 of Bolivian debt and converted it into climate initiatives. It was a win-win situation for all.
The Loss And Damage Fund Goes Into Effect
The Loss And Damage Fund was launched at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. It provides upwards of $720 million to underdeveloped nations who experience loss and damage to their country's infrastructure or natural habits due to climate disasters.
Greater "Green Taxation?"
Green taxation is an environmental tax levied against individuals and companies that are considered to be performing activities that are harmful to the environment. Canada implemented a "carbon tax" or (more properly) "carbon pricing" on the carbon content of fuels at the provincial and federal levels. The government of Canada currently charges $95 per ton of fuel as a tax. This is passed onto the consumer at the gas pump. However, other countries may explore the option of green taxation in 2025.
Earth-Shattering Glacial Melt
One of the most devastating facts about climate change—that's not predicted to get any better in 2025—is the alarming rate at which ice caps are melting. On average, Antarctica loses about 150 billion tons of ice per year, according to NASA, while Greenland is losing about 270 billion tons of ice per year. Climate scientists are so alarmed, that they've declared 2025 to be the International Year of Glaciers, with Tajikstan hosting the International Glacier Preservation Conference in May 2025. Since 2023, glaciers lost the most amount of water in 50 years. Swiss glaciers lost 10% of their total mass between 2022 and 2023.