Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached a new record high, a UN agency warned on Monday in a newly released report on greenhouse gases.
The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 2017 to 2018 was just above the average rise recorded over the last decade, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) explains in its Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
The same is true of other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, which also “surged by higher amounts [in 2018] than during the past decade,” a press release explains.
Record greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, as reported by @WMO today, means long-term #climatechange, rising temperatures and extreme weather.
The @UN Climate Conference #COP25 in Madrid must provide an adequate response. Read more > https://t.co/kf3qaEG2sS pic.twitter.com/ZOTMv7IOc3 — UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) November 25, 2019
“There is no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline, in greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere despite all the commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
“We need to translate the commitments into action and increase the level of ambition for the sake of the future welfare of the mankind,” Taalas added.
An Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment will be released on 26 November.
Both of these reports come days before the UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held from 2 to15 December in Madrid, Spain, under the presidency of Chile.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
