Geneva: Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere increased by a record amount to reach new highs in 2024, committing the planet to further long-term temperature rise, according to a report released on Wednesday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
According to Anadolu Agency, the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin indicated that the surge was driven by continued emissions from human activities, increased output from wildfires, and reduced absorption by natural "sinks" such as land ecosystems and oceans. This combination "threatens to be a vicious climate cycle."
From 2023 to 2024, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide rose by 3.5 parts per million (ppm), marking the largest annual increase since modern measurements began in 1957.
WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett remarked, "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."
The growth rates of carbon dioxide have tripled since the 1960s, from an annual average increase of 0.8 ppm to 2.4 ppm between 2011 and 2020. In 2024, the global average concentration reached 423.9 ppm, compared with 377.1 ppm when the bulletin was first published in 2004.
The report attributed the record increase mainly to wildfire emissions and reduced carbon uptake by land and ocean systems during 2024, which was noted as the warmest year on record, further amplified by a strong El Nino event.
This phenomenon led to "exceptional drought and fires in the Amazon and southern Africa."
Oksana Tarasova, a senior scientific officer at WMO, expressed concern that terrestrial and ocean CO2 sinks are becoming less effective, which will increase the amount of CO2 that remains in the atmosphere, thereby accelerating global warming. "Sustained and strengthened greenhouse gas monitoring is critical to understanding these loops," she added.
The report also highlighted that methane and nitrous oxide, the second and third most significant long-lived greenhouse gases, reached record levels in 2024. Methane concentrations rose to 1,942 parts per billion, 166% above pre-industrial levels, while nitrous oxide climbed to 338.0 parts per billion, 25% higher than before 1750.
The WMO stated that these findings aim to provide scientific input ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, in November, where countries are expected to accelerate efforts to curb emissions.