Global carbon pollution hit a record high last year, driven by fossil fuel use and an uptick in the release of greenhouse gases from wildfires.
The growth in carbon dioxide emissions from 2023 to 2024 marked the largest one-year increase since modern measurements began, the World Meteorological Organization states in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. Methane and nitrous oxide, two other potent warming gases, also reached record levels.
Because CO2 remains in the atmosphere for centuries, a rise in emissions will impact the climate far into the future, the WMO said.
“The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather,” said the group’s deputy secretary-general, Ko Barrett, in a statement. “Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being.”
