New WMO Report Points To Record Greenhouse Gas Levels As World Hurtles Towards 1.5℃ Warming – News18

Last Updated:October 28, 2024, 18:07 IST

According to the report, CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than at any time, rising by more than 11 per cent in just two decades. This is deeply worrying as the gas accounts for 64 per cent of the warming effect on climate

Greenhouse gases surged to a record high in 2023, indicating the stubbornly high fossil fuel combustion across the world, even as it hurtles towards 1.5℃ warming. This is worrying because these gases get trapped in the atmosphere for decades, making the world unprecedentedly warm.

Higher the temperatures, higher will be the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events which are triggered by climate change. The latest findings are part of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s latest report released ahead of the UN Climate Change conference in Baku where the world leaders will discuss ways to prevent the climate crisis from worsening.

According to the report, the atmospheric CO2 reached 151 per cent of the pre-industrial level in 2023 because of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) and cement production. In fact, CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than at any time during human existence, rising by more than 11 per cent in just two decades. This is deeply worrying, as the gas accounts for 64 per cent of the warming effect on climate.

Not only this, the averaged surface concentration of other greenhouse gases — Methane, Nitrous Oxide — also surged to a record high. Methane, which remains in the atmosphere for about a decade, accounts for about 16 per cent of the warming effect of long-lived greenhouse gases, and its concentration was record high for the five-year period. The increase in Nitrous Oxide — another greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting chemical from 2022 to 2023 — was lower than that observed from 2021 to 2022.

The findings are based on the long-term observations within the Global Atmosphere Watch network of monitoring stations. “Coincidental with the large CO2 increase during 2023 was the largest increase in atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) in the past two decades, suggesting enhanced CO2 emission from fires,” it suggested.

“Another year. Another record. This should set alarm bells ringing among decision-makers. These are more than just statistics. Every part per million and every fraction of a degree temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and our planet,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo at the release of the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on Monday.

The data also showed that the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere was more in 2023 compared to 2022 — an annual increase of 2.3 ppm marking the 12th consecutive year with an increase greater than 2 ppm. Since 2023 was an El Niño year, the global ocean phenomenon also had a role to play as greenhouse gas levels tend to rise because of increased forest fires triggered by warming.

“We face a potential vicious cycle. Wildfires could release more carbon emissions into the atmosphere, whilst the warmer ocean might absorb less CO2. Consequently, more CO2 could stay in the atmosphere to accelerate global warming. These climate feedbacks are critical concerns to human society,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

According to the report, from 1990 to 2023, radiative forcing — the warming effect on our climate — by long-lived greenhouse gases increased by 51.5 per cent, with CO2 accounting for about 81 per cent of this increase, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Annual Greenhouse Gas Index cited in the WMO Bulletin.