Atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases warming our planet – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide- all reached new record highs in 2021, according to a new report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
.
.
The agency’s yearly Greenhouse Gas Bulletin warns of the biggest year-on-year jump in methane concentrations in 2021 since systematic measurements began nearly 40 years ago.
While the reason for the unprecedented increase is still unclear, it seems to be a result of both biological and human-induced processes according to the report.
The increase in carbon dioxide levels from 2020 to 2021 was also larger than the average annual growth rate over the last decade, and according to WMO, the levels continue to rise through 2022.
“[The report] has underlined, once again, the enormous challenge – and the vital necessity – of urgent action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prevent global temperatures from rising even further in the future,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
.
The report explains that between 1990 and 2021, the warming effect on our climate (known as radiative forcing) by long-lived greenhouse gases (those that stay in the atmosphere) has risen by nearly 50 per cent, mainly fuelled by a CO2 increase.
To be more specific, CO2 concentrations last year reached 415.7 parts per million (ppm), methane 1908 ppm, and nitrous oxide 334.5 ppm. These values constitute, respectively, 149 per cent, 262 per cent and 124 per cent of pre-industrial levels before human activities started disrupting the natural balance of these gases in the atmosphere.
“The continuing rise in concentrations of the main heat-trapping gases, including the record acceleration in methane levels, shows that we are heading in the wrong direction,” Mr. Talas underscored.
The global energy crisis can be a historic turning point towards a cleaner & more secure future
.
We just released this year’s edition of our flagship publication, the World Energy Outlook (WEO), which shows that global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing profound and long-lasting changes that have the potential to hasten the transition to a more sustainable and secure energy system.
.
.
The report, the gold standard for energy analysis, examines the ongoing shock of unprecedented breadth and complexity that has already caused major tremors in natural gas, coal, electricity and oil markets. It assesses the policy responses by governments around the world, which promise to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
.
And it weighs how these changes measure up against the world’s climate commitments and energy security needs.
.
Read about the key findings – including what the latest developments mean for the long-term outlook for fossil fuels, renewables, energy efficiency and more – in the press release and executive summary.
.
Go deeper by exploring more of the online content from this year’s WEO, including the full report available to download for free.
.
Watch the livestreamed launch event at 11 am Paris time today with our Executive Director Fatih Birol and lead authors Laura Cozzi and Tim Gould.
.
For the first time, this year’s World Energy Outlook includes a series of interactive data stories that enable you to explore the key findings visually. Take a look!
In addition to the global temperature outcomes of policies and pledges, the CAT also assesses the expected absolute emissions in 2030 and compares these with emissions consistent with benchmark pathways in line with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal.
Sustainable business model: a business model that creates, delivers, and captures value for all its stakeholders without depleting the natural, economic, and social capital it relies on.
A greenhouse gas (GHG) is any gaseous compound that is capable of absorbing and emitting infrared radiation, thereby allowing less heat to escape back to space, and ‘trapping’ it in the lower atmosphere.
The major greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3).
Sustainable business model: a business model that creates, delivers, and captures value for all its stakeholders without depleting the natural, economic, and social capital it relies on.
