The United Nations warned Monday that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere hit new record highs in 2023, securing future temperature increases for years to come.

According to the UN’s weather and climate organisation, levels of the three primary greenhouse gases—the climate-warming carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—all rose last year.

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising more quickly than ever before—by more than 10% over the past 20 years.

Ahead of the COP29 UN climate meeting in Baku from November 11-22, the WMO releases its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.

One more year. One more album. In a statement, WMO head Celeste Saulo stated, “Decision-makers should be alarmed by this.”

“It is obvious that we are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement goal.”

Countries committed to keeping global warming “well below” two degrees Celsius over average levels recorded between 1850 and 1900, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

According to the WMO, greenhouse gases will continue to build up in the atmosphere and raise global temperatures as long as emissions continue.

It stated that last year’s global temperatures were “the highest in records dating back as far as 1850,” both on land and at sea.

Even if emissions quickly decrease to net zero, present temperature levels will persist for decades due to the long half-life of CO2 in the atmosphere.

“Real impact”

CO2 levels were 420 parts per million (ppm), methane levels were 1,934 ppb, and nitrous oxide levels were 336 ppb in 2023.

This represents increases of 151%, 265%, and 125% of pre-industrial levels prior to 1750.

These are not only figures. Our lives and the earth are truly impacted by every part per million and every fraction of a degree of temperature increase, according to Saulo.

Approximately 64% of the warming influence on the climate is caused by CO2.

According to the research, “historically large fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the 2010s and 2020s” were the reason of its 2.3 ppm yearly increase, which was the 12th consecutive year that it had increased by more than two ppm.

The amount from last year is 11.4% higher than the 337.1 ppm found in 2004.

According to the paper, “CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than at any time during human existence,” and the current atmospheric CO2 level is 51% higher than it was before the industrial period.

According to the report, the Earth last saw a similar amount of CO2 three to five million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3 degrees Celsius warmer and the sea level was 10–20 meters higher than it is now.

The ocean and terrestrial ecosystems absorb the remaining CO2 emissions, leaving little under half in the sky.

WMO deputy chief Ko Barret cautioned that “we face a potentially vicious cycle” at this point.

According to her, climate change may soon “cause ecosystems to become larger sources of greenhouse gases.”

“While the warmer ocean may absorb less CO2, wildfires may release more carbon emissions into the atmosphere.” As a result, global warming might be accelerated if more CO2 remains in the atmosphere.

“Human society has serious concerns about these climate feedbacks.”