Global carbon dioxide levels hit record high in 2024

NEW YORK, October 18 ------ Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in Earth’s atmosphere climbed to their highest point on record in 2024, increasing by an unprecedented margin and further locking the planet into long-term warming, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin attributed the surge to continued emissions from human activities, intensifying wildfires, and a weakening of natural “carbon sinks” such as forests and oceans that usually absorb CO₂.

The agency warned that this could trigger a dangerous climate feedback loop.

Data showed that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, rising from an annual average of 0.8 parts per million (ppm) to 2.4 ppm per year between 2011 and 2020.

From 2023 to 2024, the global average concentration of CO₂ jumped by 3.5 ppm—the largest increase since modern measurements began in 1957. “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third most important long-lived greenhouse gases related to human activities – have also risen to record levels.

WMO released the annual greenhouse gas bulletin to provide authoritative scientific information for the UN Climate Change conference in November. The COP 30 meeting in Belém, Brazil, will seek to ramp up climate action. Sustaining and expanding greenhouse gas monitoring are critical to support such efforts,” said Oksana Tarasova, coordinator of the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, which is one of WMO’s flagship scientific reports and is now in its 21st issue.

Source: pna.gov.ph