WMO warns of unprecedented greenhouse gas levels exacerbated by climate change impacts

Fossil fuel emissions, deforestation, and agriculture are driving greenhouse gas levels to unprecedented heights, fueling climate change. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), carbon dioxide concentrations have risen by 10% over the past two decades, the fastest increase in human history. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasizes that these figures are not mere statistics; each part per million or fraction of a degree has real-world consequences.

The year 2023 has been recorded as the warmest on record, in part due to the El Niño phenomenon. Additionally, droughts in the Amazon and significant wildfires in Canada contributed to a rapid surge in greenhouse gas levels towards the end of last year. Researchers are increasingly concerned that climate change is becoming self-reinforcing, with drought and more frequent wildfires decreasing the land’s ability to sequester carbon. Warmer oceans also absorb less carbon dioxide, and preliminary studies indicate that nature was only able to offset a small fraction of human emissions in the past year.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most significant greenhouse gas related to human activity, contributing to approximately 64% of the climate warming effect, largely due to fossil fuel combustion and cement production. CO2 levels, measured in parts per million (ppm), have increased from 280 ppm during the industrial revolution to 420 ppm today, a 51% rise. In 2023, the increase in atmospheric CO2 was 2.3 ppm, higher than in 2022 but lower than the three preceding years.

Methane, another potent greenhouse gas, accounts for around 16% of the warming effect of long-lived greenhouse gases. Approximately 40% of methane emissions come from natural sources, while the remaining 60% are attributed to human activities such as livestock farming and fossil fuel extraction.