¨
WMO says
carbon dioxide levels reached a record high in 2024.
¨ The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
has stated in its new report that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached
an all-time high.
¨ This is likely to further increase the
planet's temperature and lead to more extreme climate events.
¨ The WMO stated that between 2023 and 2024,
CO₂ concentrations rose by 3.5 parts per million — the largest single-year
increase since 1957.
¨ The report was released ahead of the upcoming
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil.
¨ The primary causes of this surge were
identified as fossil fuel burning and widespread wildfires, especially across
South America.
¨ WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said
the heat trapped by CO₂ and other greenhouse gases is intensifying climate
change and extreme weather.
¨ Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide
have also reached record levels, worsening the global warming scenario.
¨ WMO scientist Oksana Tarasova noted that
carbon dioxide has a long lifetime in the atmosphere, making its effects
persist for centuries.
¨ She explained that nearly half of all carbon
emissions are absorbed by forests, land, and oceans, but the ability of these
so-called carbon sinks to absorb the gases is lessening.
¨
Rising
temperatures and low rainfall have stressed Amazon rainforest trees, reducing
their ability to photosynthesize.
