2020 tied with 2016 as hottest year on record: EU's Copernicus By IANS | Published on Fri, Jan 8 2021 11:27 IST | 0 Views ESA-NASA's Sun-observing SOHO mission marks 25 yrs in space. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Jan 8 : The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the EU's Earth Observation Programme, on Friday announced that 2020 was the warmest year ever recorded tying with 2016, the previous record-holder. The unusually high temperatures throughout 2020 happened despite the occurrence of La Nina, a recurrent weather phenomenon that has a cooling effect on global temperatures. The announcement confirms the continuation of a worrying trend, with the last six years on the calendar corresponding to the six hottest on record. It also highlights the need for countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main responsible for global warming.