Atmospheric carbon dioxide surged record level in 2024

The globally averaged methane concentration in 2024 were 1942 parts per billion (ppb) an increase of 166% above pre-industrial (before 1750) levels: WMO

New Delhi: The world’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have surged at an unprecedented rate an average of 0.8 ppm per year to 2.4 ppm per year in the decade from 2011 to 2020, marking a stark warning about the escalating pace of global warming.

Between 2023 and 2024, the global average concentration of CO₂ increased by 3.5 parts per million (ppm), the largest annual rise since modern measurements began nearly seven decades ago in 1957.

The WMO’s latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, released in Wednesday, showed that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 parts per million (ppm) to 2.4 ppm per year, in the decade from 2011 to 2020

Scientists viewed that the record jump underscores a troubling acceleration in “greenhouse gas accumulation”. In the 1960s, CO₂ concentrations grew at an average of just 0.8 ppm per year. By the 2010s, that average had tripled to 2.4 ppm annually. The sharp escalation recorded in 2024 suggests atmospheric CO₂ growth is now surpassing projections made even in the most pessimistic climate models of the past decade.

Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third most important long-lived greenhouse gases related to human activities, have also risen to record levels.

“Sustaining and expanding greenhouse gas monitoring are critical to support such efforts,” said Oksana Tarasova, coordinator of the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, which is one of WMO’s flagship scientific reports and is now in its 21st issue.

When the bulletin was first published in 2004, the annual average level of CO2 measured by WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch network of monitoring stations was 377.1 ppm. In 2024 it was 423.9 ppm.

The likely reason for the record growth between 2023 and 2024 was a large contribution from wildfire emissions and a reduced uptake of CO2 by land and the ocean in 2024 – the warmest year on record, with a strong El Niño.

Driving Forces Behind the Surge:

Researchers attribute this spike to a combination of “persistent fossil fuel combustion”, intensified industrial activity in developing economies, and the weakening ability of natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans to absorb CO₂.

Major wildfires in regions like the Amazon Basin, Canada, and parts of Southeast Asia also released massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the past two years.

“The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging 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,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

Scientific Warning and Climate Implications:

Preliminary data indicate that global CO₂ emissions from human activities remain near record highs, driven largely by rising energy demand and slow progress in transitioning to renewable sources. Compounding this, oceanic absorption rates have declined as warmer sea surface temperatures reduce the solubility of CO₂, while deforestation and land degradation curtail the natural uptake of carbon on land.

Climate scientists warn that such rapid increases make it significantly more difficult to limit global warming to well below 2°C — or ideally 1.5°C — above pre-industrial levels, as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Current estimates suggest that atmospheric CO₂ concentrations have now reached roughly 423 ppm, compared with about 317 ppm in 1960 and 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution.

“This rate of increase is not just alarming — it’s dangerous,” said Dr. Lena Moretti, a climate systems researcher affiliated with the Global Carbon Observatory. “The atmosphere is trapping more heat every year, and the physical systems that once helped buffer that process are starting to fail. We are locking in changes that will reverberate for centuries.”

A Call for Immediate Global Response:

The World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have both emphasized the urgent need for deeper emissions cuts, accelerated renewable energy deployment, and large-scale carbon removal strategies. Despite growing investment in clean technologies, global energy systems remain overwhelmingly dependent on oil, gas, and coal.

Policy analysts say that without coordinated international action, including stronger enforcement of net-zero commitments and reforestation initiatives, the world risks crossing climate tipping points that could trigger irreversible consequences such as accelerated ice sheet loss, extreme weather intensification, and ecosystem collapse.

“We’re not just measuring numbers,” said Dr. Moretti. “We’re measuring our collective failure to act fast enough.”

Methane and Nitrous Oxide:

Methane accounts for about 16% of the warming effect on our climate by long-lived greenhouse gases and has a lifetime of about nine years.

Approximately 40% of methane is emitted into the atmosphere by natural sources (for example, wetlands) which are sensitive to climate as well, and about 60% comes from anthropogenic sources such as cattle, rice farming, fossil fuel exploitation, landfills and biomass burning.

The globally averaged methane concentration in 2024 were 1942 parts per billion (ppb) – an increase of 166% above pre-industrial (before 1750) levels.

Nitrous oxide is the third most important long-lived greenhouse gas and comes from both natural sources and due to human activities such as biomass burning, fertilizer use and various industrial processes. The globally averaged concentration reached 338.0 ppb in 2024, an increase of 25% over the pre-industrial level.