By Kokab Rathore
The year 2025 was recorded as the second-warmest year in modern history, surpassed only by 2024. These elevated temperatures were particularly striking given the occurrence of a La Niña event during the year. Typically, La Niña conditions bring cooler global temperatures, as colder water rises to the surface of the Pacific Ocean. In contrast, El Niño events tend to increase global surface temperatures. Despite the cooling influence associated with La Niña, 2025 became the warmest La Niña year ever documented.
For historical comparison, 1998 was once considered an exceptionally hot year due to the strongest El Niño event on record. However, global temperatures in 1998 were more than 0.5°C lower than those observed in 2025. This contrast illustrates the accelerating impact of global warming, to the extent that even present-day La Niña years now exceed the temperature peaks once driven by the most intense El Niño in recorded history.
Notably, the past twelve years constitute the twelve warmest years ever recorded. The most recent three years have each registered temperatures exceeding 1.4°C above preindustrial levels, underscoring the rapid pace of climate change.
A significant portion of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions is absorbed by the world’s oceans, which have warmed at an even greater rate than the Earth’s surface. Ocean heat content continues to reach new highs almost annually, and 2025 was no exception. A recent study estimated that the oceans absorbed energy equivalent to the detonation of nearly ten Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs every second throughout the year—an alarming indication of the scale of heat accumulation.
Despite mounting scientific evidence that climate change is accelerating, the United States government enacted several regulatory and legislative measures in 2025 that are expected to increase greenhouse gas emissions. After years of gradual decline, U.S. emissions rose in 2025, reversing a long-standing downward trend.
In contrast, many other nations made notable progress in advancing climate action and clean energy deployment. China, in particular, strengthened its position as a global leader in clean technology and renewable energy, reinforcing its trajectory toward becoming a dominant economic power.
While current trends suggest that extreme heat may continue into 2026, the U.S. Congress still retains the opportunity to enact substantial climate and clean energy legislation in the coming year, provided such efforts are not obstructed by executive actions.
According to independent research organizations, including Carbon Monitor and the Global Carbon Project, global carbon emissions increased by approximately 1% in 2025. In the United States, emissions rose by around 2%, influenced by factors such as a colder-than-average winter, which increased demand for fossil-fuel-based heating, and elevated natural gas prices that prompted a resurgence in coal consumption.
During 2025, both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government undertook measures to roll back federal climate regulations and significantly reduce clean energy tax incentives previously introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act. Although an energy emergency was declared at the outset of the administration, numerous wind and solar energy projects were halted or delayed.
Additionally, federal climate research institutions faced challenges, including proposals to dismantle prominent research centers, the removal of climate-related information from official websites, and discussions about restructuring leadership of comprehensive national climate assessment efforts that traditionally involve broad scientific collaboration.
The United States remains the second-largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 12% of the total. China, owing largely to its population size and industrial base, is responsible for roughly one-third of global emissions. However, in 2025, China pursued more assertive policies in support of clean energy expansion and climate mitigation compared to the United States.
As global temperatures remain near record highs and many governments increasingly adopt cost-effective low-carbon technologies, China’s continued leadership in clean technology may further strengthen its economic position relative to the United States in 2026.
The writer is a Researcher, and working as an Anchor Person in State Media of Pakistan. He is a Lecturer, Vlogger and Freelancing Journalist. He can be reached at kokab.raathore@gmail.com
Disclaimer: “The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of any organization”.
