WMO Warns Record CO2 Surge in 2024 Threatens Global Climate Stability
According to the report, CO2 concentrations grew by 3.5 ppm from 2023 to 2024—three times faster than the average annual growth rate seen in the 1960s.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has revealed that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels surged by a record-breaking amount in 2024, reaching an alarming global average of 423.9 parts per million (ppm). This marks the highest level since systematic observations began in 1957, underscoring the world’s accelerating march toward dangerous climate thresholds. The WMO’s latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin attributes this unprecedented rise to continued human-induced emissions, intensified wildfires, and a troubling decline in the efficiency of natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans.
According to the report, CO2 concentrations grew by 3.5 ppm from 2023 to 2024—three times faster than the average annual growth rate seen in the 1960s. “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General. “Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being.”
A Century-Long Climate Commitment
CO2’s atmospheric persistence makes it the most consequential greenhouse gas. Once emitted, it remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, ensuring that today’s emissions will continue to heat the planet well into the future. The WMO emphasized that even immediate emission cuts would not reverse current trends but could slow the rate of future warming.
Since the WMO began publishing its Greenhouse Gas Bulletin in 2004, CO2 concentrations have risen from 377.1 ppm to 423.9 ppm in just two decades—a pace unmatched in modern geological history. About half of human-emitted CO2 remains in the atmosphere, while the rest is temporarily absorbed by oceans and land-based ecosystems. However, as global temperatures climb, these natural buffers are weakening.
Carbon Sinks Under Stress
The 2024 report highlights a worrying trend: natural carbon sinks—forests, soils, and oceans—are becoming less capable of absorbing excess CO2. Oceanic absorption declines as water temperatures rise, reducing CO2 solubility. Meanwhile, on land, prolonged droughts, wildfires, and deforestation undermine ecosystems’ ability to store carbon.
The year 2024 was the warmest ever recorded, driven in part by a strong El Niño event that intensified droughts and wildfires in regions such as the Amazon and southern Africa. These events not only emitted vast quantities of CO2 but also impaired the forests’ natural recovery processes. “There is concern that terrestrial and ocean CO2 sinks are becoming less effective,” warned Dr. Oksana Tarasova, the WMO’s senior scientific officer. “This will increase the amount of CO2 that stays in the atmosphere, thereby accelerating global warming.”
Methane and Nitrous Oxide Also Reach Record Highs
The WMO’s bulletin also reported that concentrations of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—the second and third most influential long-lived greenhouse gases—continued their upward trajectory. Methane, responsible for about 16% of the total warming effect, reached 1,942 parts per billion (ppb) in 2024, a 166% increase over pre-industrial levels. Around 60% of methane emissions come from human activities, including agriculture, fossil fuel extraction, and waste management, while natural sources such as wetlands also contribute significantly.
Nitrous oxide, which remains in the atmosphere for over a century, rose to 338.0 ppb in 2024—25% higher than pre-industrial concentrations. Its primary sources are agricultural fertilizers, biomass burning, and industrial processes. Alarmingly, N₂O not only contributes to global warming but also depletes the ozone layer, compounding its environmental impact.
Extreme Weather and Economic Risks
The record greenhouse gas concentrations coincide with a spike in extreme weather events worldwide. 2024 witnessed severe heatwaves across Asia and Europe, prolonged droughts in Africa and South America, and catastrophic floods in parts of North America. The WMO warns that such patterns are consistent with projections of a more chaotic and unstable climate system fueled by rising greenhouse gas levels.
The economic and social repercussions are equally severe. Disruptions to agriculture, infrastructure damage, and escalating healthcare costs linked to heat stress and air pollution represent growing burdens for governments worldwide. “Climate change is not a distant threat—it’s already reshaping societies and economies,” Barrett emphasized.
Strengthening Global Monitoring and Action
To combat these escalating trends, the WMO is calling for stronger global monitoring systems and accelerated climate action. The 2024 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin serves as a scientific foundation for discussions at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for November in Belém, Brazil. The conference aims to scale up global mitigation efforts, enhance transparency, and strengthen carbon accounting mechanisms.
“Sustaining and expanding greenhouse gas monitoring are critical to support such efforts,” said Tarasova. The WMO operates a network of 179 atmospheric stations worldwide, collecting precise measurements of greenhouse gas concentrations. These data underpin global climate models, helping policymakers design evidence-based solutions.
A Call for Urgent, Coordinated Global Action
The WMO’s warning comes at a crucial juncture. As global emissions continue to rise and natural carbon sinks weaken, the window for maintaining a livable climate is rapidly closing. Experts stress that rapid decarbonization—through renewable energy adoption, reforestation, and sustainable land use—must accelerate to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Without drastic action, humanity risks crossing irreversible tipping points, such as large-scale ice melt and permafrost thaw, that could further amplify warming. “The data are clear,” concluded Barrett. “Our planet is sending distress signals. The longer we delay, the higher the cost—both human and economic.”
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