Carbon dioxide levels hit record last year, causing more extreme weather

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🗞️ Driving the news: Global carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels surged to a record high in 2024, marking the largest annual increase ever recorded, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• The new figures, released ahead of the upcoming UN climate conference, show CO₂ concentrations now exceed levels last seen over 800,000 years ago, significantly intensifying extreme weather events across the globe

🔭 The context: Since the 1960s, atmospheric CO₂ growth rates have tripled, driven by the continued combustion of coal, oil, and gas
• Compounding the problem are large-scale wildfires and the declining capacity of natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans
• The report warns of a “vicious climate cycle” in which higher temperatures fuel more emissions and ecosystem degradation, further destabilizing the climate system

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The rise in CO₂ is directly linked to the increase in heatwaves, floods, droughts, and other climate-driven disasters
• Surpassing historic atmospheric thresholds accelerates warming and makes achieving the 1.5°C limit under the Paris Agreement increasingly unlikely
• The weakening of natural carbon sinks also threatens long-term mitigation efforts, highlighting the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels and protecting ecosystems.

⏭️ What's next: The findings will place further pressure on national governments ahead of COP30, as climate negotiators face mounting evidence that current emissions trajectories are incompatible with global climate goals
• Policymakers are expected to be called on to adopt deeper, faster emissions cuts, scale up carbon removal technologies, and strengthen protections for forests and oceans — now diminishing in their ability to buffer human impact

💬 One quote: “The continuing rise in greenhouse gases, including the record jump in CO₂ levels, is a clear sign that we are heading in the wrong direction,” – WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas

📈 One stat: Atmospheric CO₂ levels have reached levels not seen in at least 800,000 years, with the growth rate in 2024 setting an all-time high

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