Greenhouse gas concentrations hit record levels in 2023, locking in years of future temperature increases, the United Nations announced. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the three main greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—continued to rise last year, with CO₂ accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever. According to WMO Chief Celeste Saulo, “Another year. Another record. This should set alarm bells ringing among decision-makers,” as the world drifts further from the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5–2°C.
Last year, global temperatures on land and sea reached the highest levels recorded since 1850, with greenhouse gas levels climbing to pre-industrial highs: CO₂ at 420 parts per million (ppm), methane at 1,934 parts per billion, and nitrous oxide at 336 parts per billion. This translates to increases of 151%, 265%, and 125% over levels before 1750, with CO₂ alone responsible for 64% of the warming effect. CO₂’s annual rise of 2.3 ppm marked the 12th consecutive year of increases over 2 ppm—a spike caused by large-scale fossil fuel emissions.
WMO’s bulletin, released just ahead of the COP29 climate summit, highlights the risks of climate feedback loops, where warming can trigger higher emissions from natural sources. Wildfires, for example, can release more carbon, while warmer oceans may absorb less CO₂, leaving more CO₂ in the atmosphere and accelerating global warming.
With the Earth now experiencing CO₂ levels unseen since three to five million years ago—when sea levels were significantly higher and temperatures were 2–3°C warmer—WMO Deputy Chief Ko Barret warned of a "potential vicious cycle." This situation underscores the urgency of global emissions cuts to prevent even more severe impacts on ecosystems, sea levels, and communities worldwide.
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