Atmospheric CO2 levels soar to new highs in 2024: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere soared by a record number to new highs in 2024, committing the Earth to more long-term temperature increase, a UN spokesperson warned Wednesday.

Citing the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin released Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a daily briefing that continued emissions of CO2 from human activities and an upsurge from wildfires, as well as reduced CO2 absorption by "sinks" such as land ecosystems and the ocean, were responsible for the rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

According to the report, concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide, which are the second and third most important long-lived greenhouse gases related to human activities, have also risen to record levels, he said.

WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett warned that the heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbocharging the climate and leading to more extreme weather, and stressed that reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for the climate but also for economic security and community well-being, said the spokesperson. ■