This increase is due to continued human emissions, increased wildfires, and weakened absorption by land and ocean “sinks” – a development that threatens to create a vicious climate cycle.
Tripled since the 1960s
THE WMOThe latest greenhouse gas bulletin shows that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, from an average annual increase of 0.8 parts per million (ppm) to 2.4 ppm per year, during the decade 2011 to 2020.
The rate jumped by a record 3.5 ppm between 2023 and 2024 – the largest increase since monitoring began in 1957.
Average concentrations reached 423.9 ppm in 2024, compared to 377.1 ppm when the bulletin was first published in 2004.
About half of the CO₂ emitted remains in the atmosphere, while the rest is absorbed by land and oceans; storage weakens as warming reduces ocean solubility and worsens drought.
The 2024 peak was likely amplified by an increase in wildfires and a reduction in CO₂ uptake by land and ocean in 2024 – the hottest year on record, with a strong El Niño climate effect.
“There is concern that land and ocean CO₂ sinks are becoming less efficient, which will increase the amount of CO₂ that remains in the atmospherethus accelerating global warming. Sustained and strengthened greenhouse gas monitoring is essential to understanding these loops,” said Oksana Tarasova, WMO senior scientist who coordinates the bulletin’s research.
Other records
Methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third long-lived greenhouse gases – also set new emissions records.
Methane levels reached 1,942 ppb, 166 percent above pre-industrial levels, while nitrous oxide reached 338 ppb, an increase of 25 percent.
“Heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases fuel our climate and lead to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not only for our climate but also for our economic security and the well-being of our communities,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General.
Monitoring and action
The WMO released the report ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, which begins in November, emphasizing that sustained global monitoring is vital to guide climate action.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
