The year of 2024 has made history for the environment, but not in a good way.
During the year, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded hit America, wildfires ravaged forests in Canada and Greece, unprecedented monsoon rains led to devastating floods in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, affecting millions of people.
It's been the hottest year on record, with the global average temperature more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
No part of the world was untouched by extreme weather.
A new report commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce highlighted that extreme weather events cost 2 trillion dollars globally in the past decade.
One estimate flags 400 billion dollars worth of damages just in 2024.
COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November was thus labeled the "finance COP", where the expectation was a 1 trillion dollar commitment in climate finance for the developing world.
"There isn't lack of money for tackling the climate crisis. It's just that the money is still going in the wrong direction and we need to recalibrate and shift that investment out of fossil fuels," said Mark Watts, executive director of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
Hopes were dashed with a much lower 300 billion dollar annual commitment by developed nations at COP29, with no mention of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
China installed record-breaking solar and wind capacity, contributing to nearly 50 percent of the world's renewable energy growth in 2024.
The country also launched the world's largest green hydrogen plant, reducing dependency on fossil fuels for its industrial sector. Electric vehicle adoption surged, with 40 percent of all cars sold in China now being electric.
Since 2016, China has provided and mobilized funds for green transition and development to the tune of 24.5 billion dollars, helping the global south in its climate action as well.
Extreme weather plagues world in 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the "tragic incident" in Russian airspace during a phone talk with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, referring to Wednesday's Azerbaijani plane crash, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.
Putin said the Azerbaijani flight repeatedly tried to land at the airport in Grozny in Russia, adding that at that time, Grozny was experiencing a Ukrainian drone attack and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks.
During the phone call, Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Aliyev said that the plane had to be diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan, where it made an emergency landing.
Citing testimonies from survivors, including flight attendants, as evidence of external interference, Aliyev said that the aircraft's fuselage had been punctured by foreign objects during the flight, injuring passengers and crew members.
The two leaders agreed on the need for a thorough investigation. Aliyev confirmed that an international team of experts had already begun examining the incident.
The Russian Investigative Committee had opened a criminal case under violation of traffic safety rules and operation of air transport, Putin told Aliyev, adding that primary investigations are ongoing.
Also on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Aliyev, expressing condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic plane crash.
Calling a thorough investigation is a key priority now, Zelensky said photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircraft's fuselage, which strongly point to a strike by an air defense missile.
He said Ukraine will support Azerbaijan with all necessary means and call on other countries to assist as well.
Regarding the investigation into the plane crash, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pointed out on Saturday that efforts must be made to prevent information provocation and fake news.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Kanat Bozumbayev, said the country has enlisted 17 international experts to get involved in the investigation, and the experts are concluding that the plane was damaged outside Kazakhstan's airspace.
An Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board. Thirty-eight people were killed in the crash, and 29 were rescued, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani president over "tragic incident" in Russian airspace
