Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere experienced a significant increase last year, reaching a level unprecedented in human history, according to the United Nations weather agency. The World Meteorological Organization, in its recent bulletin on greenhouse gases, disclosed that carbon dioxide growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, hitting levels not observed in at least 800,000 years.
The surge in CO2 levels has been attributed to emissions from the combustion of coal, oil, and gas, as well as the escalation of wildfires, contributing to a detrimental climate cycle. The report highlighted that despite ongoing emissions of heat-trapping gases by individuals and industries, the planet’s oceans and forests are losing their capacity to absorb these gases.
The global average concentration of carbon dioxide saw a remarkable increase from 2023 to 2024, marking the highest annual level recorded since monitoring began in 1957. The growth rate of CO2 escalated from an average annual increase of 2.4 parts per million in the decade from 2011 to 2020 to 3.5 ppm from 2023 to 2024, as per the WMO.
WMO’s deputy secretary-general, Ko Barrett, emphasized that the greenhouse gases are intensifying the climate, leading to more extreme weather conditions. The CEO of Climate Analytics, Bill Hare, expressed concern over the alarming data, noting a worrying trend of accelerating CO2 levels despite relatively stable fossil fuel emissions in the past year.
The report serves as a clear warning sign of the impending climate crisis driven by the continuous expansion of global fossil fuel development. WMO urged policymakers to take decisive actions to curb emissions, as the planet is projected to experience further temperature increases in the long term. The report also highlighted record levels of methane and nitrous oxide, indicating the severity of greenhouse gas emissions.
This development raises apprehensions about achieving the target set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement of limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UN climate chief indicated that the Earth is currently heading towards a 3-degree Celsius increase. Data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed that carbon dioxide rates are still escalating, albeit at a slightly lower rate compared to the previous year.