Humanity's greenhouse gas emissions have reached their highest level in 800,000 years, according to a U.N. report that finds Earth's energy balance is at its most extreme since measurements began in 1960. The continued burning of fossil fuels is trapping heat in the planet's atmosphere, oceans, and land instead of allowing it to reflect back into space.

Researchers from the World Meteorological Organization documented that the gap between solar energy absorbed and reflected has widened dramatically, with the past 11 years being the hottest on record. Last year ranked as either the second- or third-hottest ever, with global temperatures 1.43 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The oceans, which absorb 91 percent of Earth's surplus heat, reached record-high temperatures in 2025.

The report's authors say this energy imbalance provides the clearest picture yet of accelerating climate change. While previous U.N. assessments tracked individual metrics like surface temperatures and sea level rise, this analysis examines the entire climate system's energy flows. Scientists warn that heat stored below 2,000 meters in the ocean will affect the planet for centuries to come.