The trail of clues that our planet might be heating faster than we realised

In Britain's record-breaking hot summer, a debate emerged on social media about climate science. Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform, claimed cleaner air, not carbon dioxide, was responsible for higher temperatures. However, this is incorrect - carbon dioxide is the primary driver of global warming. The issue is more complex: while carbon dioxide warms the Earth, sulphur pollution from fossil fuel burning forms tiny particles that reflect sunlight back into space, counteracting the warming effect.

Thanks to clean-air policies, sulphur emissions are falling, while carbon dioxide emissions remain near record highs. Scientists believe this loss of cooling effect is slightly accelerating global warming. The past three years have been the warmest ever recorded, and 2027 is very likely to replace 2024 as the warmest year on record. This raises the question: might our planet be more sensitive to greenhouse gases than we thought?