In a stark warning about the escalating climate crisis, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has reported that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels reached their highest point ever in 2024. This significant increase, attributed to both human activities and natural factors like wildfires, is further accelerating global warming and intensifying extreme weather phenomena worldwide.
According to the WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the period between 2023 and 2024 saw a 3.5 parts per million (ppm) jump in the global average concentration of CO2. This marks the most substantial rise recorded since measurements began in 1957. The bulletin also highlights that the growth rate of CO2 has tripled since the 1960s, indicating a concerning acceleration in its accumulation in the atmosphere.
Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary-General of the WMO, stressed the dire implications of these findings. “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather,” she stated. “Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being.”
Beyond CO2, concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide, the next most significant long-lived greenhouse gases, have also hit record highs. These findings are crucial as the world prepares for the upcoming UN Climate Change conference in November, where leaders will convene in Belém, Brazil, for COP 30 to discuss enhanced climate action.
The report provides critical scientific data, noting that the globally averaged CO2 concentration in 2024 stood at 423.9±0.2 ppm, a staggering 152% of pre-industrial levels. This surge contributes to the record global temperatures observed in 2024, which surpassed previous highs and notably crossed the 1.5°C warming threshold relative to the pre-industrial era, partly influenced by the El Niño weather pattern.
El Niño, characterized by warmer ocean temperatures, can alter weather patterns globally, leading to increased storms in some regions and droughts or floods in others. These climatic shifts also affect natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans, potentially reducing their capacity to absorb CO2. While oceans absorbed a small fraction of the excess CO2 due to persistent record sea-surface temperatures, the primary drivers of the 2024 anomaly were diminished carbon uptake by ecosystems and increased emissions from widespread wildfires, particularly in the Amazon and Southern Africa. The WMO expressed significant concern that these natural carbon sinks are becoming less effective, a feedback loop that could further accelerate global warming. Continuous monitoring of greenhouse gases is deemed critical to understanding these complex interactions and informing effective climate action.