The World Meteorological Organization announced on Thursday that the average carbon dioxide concentration in Earth’s atmosphere saw its largest-ever annual increase between 2023 and 2024.
For over half a century, human activities, primarily the combustion of coal, oil, and gas for energy, have steadily pushed carbon dioxide levels upwards. This relentless rise has led to rapid global warming, as these greenhouse gases trap solar energy close to our planet’s surface. In fact, last year was officially the hottest year Earth has ever experienced in recorded history.
The United Nations’ weather and climate agency confirmed that human-generated emissions remain the primary force behind this unprecedented jump in CO2, marking the biggest annual surge since modern measurements began in 1957.
However, the agency also noted that increased emissions from wildfires likely contributed, alongside a reduced capacity of land and oceans to absorb carbon dioxide. Severe droughts and forest fires can hinder the ability of soil and plants to extract CO2 from the atmosphere, while rising ocean temperatures diminish the seas’ capacity to hold the gas.
Carbon dioxide that isn’t naturally absorbed by land or sea can linger in our atmosphere for centuries, continuing to impact the climate long after its initial release.
Ko Barrett, the World Meteorological Organization’s deputy secretary general, stated, “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbocharging 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.”
Since 1960, humanity has released approximately 500 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere. While China currently leads global emissions, the United States holds the top spot when considering total emissions throughout the industrial era.
Under former President Trump, the nation ceased its efforts to accurately measure and report emissions. In April, the Environmental Protection Agency missed its annual deadline for submitting planet-warming pollution data to the U.N. Furthermore, in September, the agency declared it would no longer require thousands of industrial facilities to report their greenhouse gas releases. During his address to the U.N. General Assembly that same month, Mr. Trump criticized global allies and dismissed the serious dangers posed by climate change.
President Trump’s proposed budget aimed to eliminate carbon dioxide monitoring observatories and satellites operated by federal bodies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. In June, the National Institute of Standards and Technology also cut grant funding for a significant emissions monitoring initiative across various American cities.
Additionally, the Trump administration initiated steps to revoke the ‘endangerment finding,’ a crucial scientific conclusion that establishes greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and forms the basis for regulating industrial polluters.