EDITOR’S OPINION: Temperatures continue to rise
1 December 2025
It may be early days in the second quarter of the 21st century, but those who are naturally inclined to adopt an optimistic disposition must be finding it hard to maintain a positive outlook. With fires raging in California, continuing conflicts around the world and the cost of UK government debt rising steeply, it’s hard to argue that the new year has got off to a great start. Meanwhile, the return to power of an unpredictable president, with a seemingly unhinged social media mogul at the heart of his inner-circle, looks set to only add further turbulence to troubled waters.
Climate change deniers must equally struggle to maintain their sceptical stance, faced as they are with the overwhelming evidence that nature is wreaking havoc on people’s lives and the global economy. Unprecedented heatwaves and heavy rainfall have resulted in widespread flooding around Europe, while extreme weather conditions have triggered typhoons in the Philippines and the wildfires in Los Angeles have caused devastation that is estimated to come at a re-construction cost of over $135 billion – not a good time to be in the insurance business.
The gloomy mood is unlikely to have been lifted by news that carbon emissions in 2024 are expected to have set a new record high and the world continues to be on track for a catastrophic 2.7°C rise in global temperature by the end of this century.
The evidence of devastation is clear to see, but the willingness or ability of decision makers to do something about it is less in evidence. Experts have said that world-wide fossil-fuel emissions must fall by 45% by 2030 to have a chance of limiting the acceleration of record temperatures (every year in the past decade has been one of the 10 hottest in records that go back to 1850), but right now there seems little prospect of the international community coming together to agree on collective action that will bring about the necessary reduction.
The UK is now only 25 years away from seeing if it can achieve its 2050 net zero goal. While the Labour government has not shied away from targets, pledging to cut carbon emissions by 81% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels before hitting net zero 15 years later, there are fears that the firmness of such commitments might be tested when faced with a weakening economy and inevitable budget constraints, as well as a constant barrage of criticism of its supposed green agenda from a right-wing media. It is already reported that it intends to shelve plans to ban new gas boilers by 2035 and that this year’s introduction of the Future Homes Standard could be delayed.
Any future objectives are always likely to be compromised by pressures of the present day, but it is hoped that future generations don’t have cause to regret our failure to do more to combat the predicted climate catastrophe.
• Chris Jones, managing editor
