95bFM NIWA’s 2024 Climate Summary shows last year was Aotearoa’s tenth warmest on record
15 January, 2025
Interview by Joel Armstrong, adapted by Imogene Bedford
Principal Scientist at GNS Science, Dr Nick Cradock-Henry, says adapting to rising temperature trends is important, as NIWA records 2024 as Aotearoa's tenth warmest year on record.
NIWA announced in their most recent annual climate summary, that 2024 was Aotearoa’s tenth warmest year on record.
Of the tenth warmest years recorded in the study, eight of these have been since 2013.
The report follows concerns about the growing impact of the climate crisis, as international organisations, such as Copernicus and NASA, have released their annual climate summary, naming 2024 as the warmest year on global record.
Principal Scientist at GNS Science, Dr Nick Cradock-Henry, told 95bFM’s The Wire that he can not “overestimate how significant” these findings are for Aotearoa.
He says that one way we will see the implications of these rising temperatures will be through our economy.
“We are a small island in the Pacific, highly dependent on primary productive industries for our economic growth and development.”
“Primary industries, of course, are incredibly climate sensitive.”
Although Cradock-Henry continues to support efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, he says vulnerable sectors will now need to develop their climate resilience.
Despite adverse weather events being more localised in 2024 than in 2023 — such as with Cyclone Gabrielle, he says frequent regional bouts of flooding and drought are indicative of continuing temperature variabilities.
He anticipates this “hydro-climate whiplash” will result in more unpredictable and extreme weather.
“I think there is a significant opportunity to invest in adaptation now; to reduce future losses by investing in significant risk management and planning.”
Cradock-Henry says this is especially important now that global temperatures have reportedly passed what he calls the Paris Agreement’s “safe guardrail” of 1.5°C. The Earth’s surface air temperature has exceeded the target for eleven months of the year.
It is the first time the threshold has been breached on a global scale.
While he praised the efforts of local councils and businesses, he says further work is needed to adjust to continuing upward temperature trends in 2025.
“We need to significantly scale up our efforts in investing in future-proofing infrastructure, assets, lives, and livelihoods.”
