The United Nations has warned that greenhouse gases have reached a record high, highlighting the urgent need for real-time action.
According to the World Meteorological Agency (WMO), greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) were accumulating faster into the atmosphere than they ever did.
Citing the WMO’s 2024 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the Deputy Secretary-General of the WHO, Ko Barrett stressed the need to slow down rising CO2 levels.
According to statistics from the report, in 2004, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 377.1 parts per million (ppm), in 2004.
This figure grew to a staggering 420 ppm by 2023.
“This is an increase of 42.9 parts per million, or 11.4 per cent in just 20 years.
“These are more than statistics,” the WMO deputy chief insisted.
“Every part per million matters, every fraction of a degree of temperature increase matters; it matters in terms of the speed of glacier and ice retreat, the acceleration of sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification. It matters in terms of the number of people who will be exposed to extreme heat every year, the extinction of species, the impact on our ecosystems and economies,” Ms Barrett said.
The WMO report disclosed that from 1990 to 2023, radiative forcing – the warming effect on our climate from greenhouse gases increased by 51.5 per cent.
Out of this figure, CO2 accounted for more than 80 per cent of this increase, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Annual Greenhouse Gas Index.
“As long as emissions continue, greenhouse gases will continue accumulating in the atmosphere leading to global temperature rise,” the UN agency said.
“Given the extremely long life of CO2 in the atmosphere, the temperature level already observed will persist for several decades even if emissions are rapidly reduced to net zero.”
Speaking further on expectations of tangible commitments from countries during the UN climate conference, the WMO Deputy Secretary-General noted that politicians worldwide do reference the latest scientific climate findings and forecasts in their public declarations.
“So I do think they are listening, the question is to what degree will we see that manifest at COP29 in action,” she said.
Ms. Barrett noted that measures taken at a national level to transition to a “lower fossil fuel economy” were massively important to safeguard future generations.
“Even though there is a lag and temperatures will rise, we are not to be dissuaded from action,” she said, “because there will be a transformation and a downward trend in temperature in future. It all just depends on how quickly we take action and how fast we can reduce those temperatures.”
