Last year was the hottest year in NASA’s temperature record, GISTEMP. Overall, the 2023 temperature anomaly was 1.17 C (2.1 F) – meaning temperatures last this year were that much higher than the 1951-1980 average.
NASA’s record calculates temperature anomalies, rather than absolute temperatures, to account for imprecision in measurements worldwide. Our record is calculated from millions of measurements from thousands of weather stations, ships and ocean buoys, and Antarctic research stations.
While it would be great to have the same exact thermometer all over the world processing the data in the same exact way, we don’t. Instead we focus on how much warmer or colder the temperatures are in each place based on their own scales.
Plus, since we’re comparing temperatures all around the globe, it wouldn’t make sense to compare temperatures in sunny Bermuda to the cold of Greenland and average them together. Instead, we compare the change in temperatures in Bermuda to the change in temperatures in Greenland, which allows us to track how temperatures are changing worldwide.
NASA’s record is one of many kept by other organizations in the U.S. and globally. @NOAA also found that 2023 was the hottest on record. Despite small differences in data collection and processing, these global records all agree: Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.
#Earth #Climate #NASA #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #TemperatureAnomaly #Science
A tightening regulatory and technical landscape is redefining sustainable construction across the UK and beyond. The Building Safety Act is reshaping project governance by requiring transparent reporting and accountability that link safety with environmental sustainability in construction. Compliance processes are driving a shift toward whole life carbon assessment, embedding sustainable building design principles at the earliest design stage and quantifying both operational and embodied carbon.
Digital systems such as the government’s waste‑tracking initiative are enabling circular economy in construction practices, mandating traceable material flows and revealing the carbon footprint of construction through verified lifecycle assessment. These data‑driven mechanisms enhance resource efficiency in construction and reinforce the wider transition to low embodied carbon materials and eco‑friendly construction.
Investment is converging on decarbonisation at scale. A new £120 million waste‑to‑hydrogen facility is designed to transform residual waste into clean fuel, supporting low carbon design and resilient net zero carbon buildings. Growth in grid‑balancing storage improves the stability of renewable‑powered operations, a prerequisite for energy‑efficient buildings and low carbon building performance across portfolios.
Governance frameworks are also advancing. The creation of a dedicated leadership structure for the Greenhouse Gas Protocol elevates global consistency in measuring whole life carbon and encourages transparent benchmarking using environmental product declarations (EPDs). This maturity strengthens sustainable building practices, fosters green construction aligned with BREEAM v7 standards, and supports decarbonising the built environment through life cycle cost and performance management.
The cumulative effect signals a transition to net zero whole life carbon imperatives governed by robust data, certified materials, and measurable outcomes. The progress may appear administrative, yet it represents the essential infrastructure of sustainable material specification, circular construction strategies, and long‑term green infrastructure supporting a truly carbon neutral construction sector.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
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