Planet-polluting gases in atmosphere hit record levels in 2023 sparking urgent climate warning

Greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record last year committing the planet to rising temperatures for many years to come, the(WMO) has warned.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than any time experienced during human existence, rising by more than 10% in just two decades.

“Another year. Another record. This should set alarm bells ringing among decision makers. We are clearly off track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting to well below 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. These are more than just statistics. Every part per million and every fraction of a degree temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and our planet,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

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The 2023 increase of CO2 in the atmosphere was higher than that of 2022, although lower than that of the three years before that. In the course of 2023, large vegetation fires CO2 emissions and a possible reduction in carbon absorption by forests combined with stubbornly high fossil fuel CO2 emissions from human and industrial activities to drive the increase, according to the WMO’s annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.

The Bulletin is one of WMO’s flagship publications released to inform the UN Climate Change conference, COP, and is now in its 20th issue. It was published ahead of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“The Bulletin warns that we face a potential vicious cycle. Natural climate variability plays a big role in carbon cycle. But in the near future, climate change itself could cause ecosystems to become larger sources of greenhouse gases. Wildfires could release more carbon emissions into the atmosphere, whilst the warmer ocean might absorb less CO2 . Consequently, more CO2 could stay in the atmosphere to accelerate global warming. These climate feedbacks are critical concerns to human society,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

It comes as another report has warned that surging global temperatures that are making our planet increasingly uninhabitable are disrupting our oceans, pushing the Amazon to the brink of large-scale collapse, and threatening an unborn generation by heightening chances of complications and even loss.

Launched by a consortium of globally renowned social, natural and climate scientists, the annual synthesis report ‘10 New Insights In Climate Science’ unveils the overwhelming impacts of climate change that risk reversing decades of progress on maternal and reproductive health. They warn it is contributing to more extreme and costly El Niño effects, and jeopardising one of our most vital natural carbon sinks, along with seven other key climate insights.

“This report confirms that the faces planetary scale challenges, from the rise of methane emissions to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. It shows that rising heat, ocean instability and a tipping of the Amazon Rainforest could push parts of our planet beyond habitable limits. Yet, it also provides clear pathways and solutions, demonstrating that with urgent, decisive action, we still can avoid unmanageable outcomes,” said Prof. Johan Rockström, co-chair of The Earth League.