Earth being ‘pushed beyond its limits’ as energy imbalance reaches record high

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on March 23, 2026 that Earth’s energy imbalance has climbed to a record level, meaning the planet is retaining more heat than it releases back to space.

In its annual State of the Global Climate report, the WMO attributed the rise mainly to human activity and linked it to exceptional ocean warming and a higher likelihood of extreme weather in multiple regions.

What changed, and why it matters now

The WMO described an acceleration in the pace at which heat is building up in the climate system, with the most recent year standing out from the longer-term trend.

Between 2005 and 2025, the organization reported that the imbalance increased by about 11 zettajoules per year , a scale it compared to roughly 18 times total human energy use.

Over the past year, the WMO said the imbalance rose at more than double that average rate, underscoring a near-term intensification rather than a steady, linear climb.

Oceans at the center of the heat build-up

More than 90% of the excess heat is taken up by the oceans, the WMO said, and last year ocean heat content reached the highest level in the historical record.

The report added that the rate of ocean warming has increased sharply: warming over the last two decades has been more than twice as fast as during the prior 45 years.

That ocean-driven heat storage is associated in the report with faster sea-level rise and lower sea-ice levels, both of which can reshape coastal risk and polar conditions.

Greenhouse gases and temperature records

The WMO said concentrations of key greenhouse gases— carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide —are at their highest levels in at least 800,000 years .

Only about 1% of the accumulated heat directly warms the atmosphere, the report noted, but surface temperatures are still rising as the broader system stores more energy.

The WMO confirmed that 2015 to 2025 were the 11 hottest years on record, consistent with the report’s description of sustained, elevated global temperatures.

Outlook, risks, and what remains uncertain

Looking ahead, the WMO cited forecasts pointing to a possible shift toward El Niño conditions by the end of this year, a pattern that can raise global average temperatures.

However, the report framed this as a forecast rather than a certainty, and it did not specify how strong or long-lasting any potential El Niño phase might be.

The WMO said the heat build-up has “significant implications” for health and food security , reflecting how temperature and ocean changes can influence heat stress, water availability, and agricultural conditions.

For governments, businesses, and investors, the report’s central message is that physical climate risks are being reinforced by measurable changes in the planet’s energy budget, with oceans acting as the main reservoir of that added heat.