LATEST UPDATES ON CLIMATE ISSUES

With each passing year, the global climate crisis intensifies. The planet has already warmed by about 1.1°C due to human activity, leading to unprecedented changes in the climate system. All continents are experiencing severe impacts, including record heatwaves, wildfires, stronger storms, and floods. Scientists warn that extreme weather events will increase in frequency and intensity with every additional degree of warming. Despite growing awareness and commitments under the Paris Agreement, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, reaching a record 57.1 billion tons of CO₂-equivalent in 2023. Current policies put the world on track for around 3°C of warming by 2100, far exceeding the Paris target of 1.5–2°C, making international climate cooperation more critical than ever. In response, countries have engaged in high-stakes negotiations at annual UN Climate Change Conferences (COP). From the Glasgow Climate Pact in 2021 to evolving budgets and targets between 2022 and 2024, these meetings have produced important, though insufficient, agreements aimed at narrowing the gap between climate science and policy action. This article summarizes key outcomes from COP26 to COP29 and provides an overview of current global climate trends. It also highlights Azerbaijan’s regional role as host of COP29 in Baku in 2024, examining its climate policies as both an oil producer and an emerging renewable energy actor, while setting the stage for later sections on how technology—such as web platforms, applications, and IoT—can support climate action. Keywords: climate issues, ecosystems, energy development, web platforms, applications, and IoT.