Anna Pirani comments on the top-ranked study published by Carbon Brief, and to which she contributed to. The data clearly shows the urgency of achieving a net-zero-emissions society to stabilize increasing temperatures.
The most mentioned paper of the year in news stories, journalistic outlets, social media, and online platforms is the annual update on key indicators of human-caused climate change.
This is highlighted by Carbon Brief that analyzes every January since 10 years the climate papers most featured in international media in the previous year.
For 2025, the top spot goes to “Indicators of Global Climate Change 2024: annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence,” a community publication that closely follows assessed methods from the last IPCC report on climate change published in 2022. It is the result of international collaboration among numerous leading authors and institutions in climate research.
Among these contributors is Anna Pirani from CMCC, who leads the research program on the socio-economic outcomes of climate change. She originally helped develop the concept of the annual update that is led by Piers Forster, University of Leeds, as part of the scientific community’s wish to continue to support the science-policy interface since the last IPCC report.
“Ten indicators of global change, from greenhouse gas emissions to average surface temperatures—including attribution to human activities—describe and quantify climate change and its consequences, such as ocean warming, the rate of sea level rise, and the intensification of extreme weather events worldwide,” Pirani explains. She sees the attention this paper has received from the media as a very positive sign. For researchers, it is important to know that the world of journalism and information takes an interest in a publication grounded in the scientific rigour based on the IPCC assessment. “Since this initiative began in 2023,” Pirani continues, “media interest has grown, showing the increasing demand for reliable, scientifically sound, and timely information that is available to citizens and decision-makers to understand what is happening and to implement strategies and actions based on robust and up-to-date scientific knowledge.”
The publication describes a 2024 in which the observed increase in global surface temperature is 1.52°C, of which 1.36°C is attributable to human activity as a result of global greenhouse gas emissions that remain at a record high level, reducing the chances of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
“The efforts of the international community in providing publications like this one, with timely scientific updates, are the result of work by institutions like CMCC that produce advanced knowledge to inform society about how the Earth system works and the consequences of climate change for us and nature, as well as the socio-economic trajectories compatible with emission reductions and sustainable development,” Pirani concludes.
Infographic for the best estimate of headline indicators assessed in this paper. Source: Indicators of Global Climate Change 2024: annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence. Piers M. Forster et al.
Analysis: The climate papers most featured in the media in 2025 from Carbon Brief.
Cover image: a detail of Fig. 10 in Indicators of Global Climate Change 2024: annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence. Piers M. Forster et al.
