This post explains the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) alarming new assessment that atmospheric carbon dioxide has experienced the largest annual increase on record from 2023 to 2024. It covers what drove that surge and why it dramatically raises risks for global warming, the carbon cycle, and the world’s capacity to meet the Paris Agreement targets.
Key findings from the WMO report
The WMO documents that CO2 concentrations have now reached levels not seen in human history — comparable to atmospheric conditions more than 800,000 years ago. The report also highlights a sharp acceleration in the annual growth rate of CO2, underscoring a transition from steady accumulation to a more rapid, potentially self-reinforcing climb.
Record annual surge and its drivers
The headline number is stark: the annual growth rate of carbon dioxide has effectively tripled relative to the 1960s. Whereas the 2010s averaged about 2.4 parts per million (ppm) per year, the increase from 2023 to 2024 was roughly 3.5 ppm — the largest single-year jump on record.
WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett warned this is “turbo-charging” the climate, intensifying extreme weather and threatening global stability. Scientists point out that last year’s fossil fuel emissions were relatively flat, meaning natural feedbacks — not just emissions — are now playing an increasingly dominant role.
Why carbon sinks are failing
One of the gravest implications of the WMO findings is the apparent weakening of natural carbon sinks. Forests and oceans have historically absorbed a large fraction of human CO2 emissions, but evidence shows those sinks are under strain and, in some regions, reversing function.
The Amazon and other sinks turning into sources
The Amazon rainforest, long considered a vital global carbon reservoir, is now emitting CO2 in some years because of severe drought and heat stress. This shift is emblematic of broader feedback loops: warming leads to drying and fires, which release CO2, which in turn causes more warming.
Climate scientist Bill Hare described the situation as “alarming,” attributing the acceleration to feedback mechanisms such as burning forests and warming oceans that lower uptake and increase atmospheric CO2 accumulation.
Implications for global warming targets and policy
The WMO report casts fresh doubt on the feasibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. With current trends, projections are skewing toward a pathway that could deliver around 3°C of warming by the end of the century unless emissions are cut much faster.
What this means in plain terms:
Actionable responses and expert perspective
From three decades of observing climate science and policy, the path forward is painfully clear: emissions reductions must be deeper and faster. Investment in resilience and nature-based solutions must scale immediately.
The WMO urged governments to strengthen policies because, as the report shows, few nations are meeting their current commitments.
Practical steps include rapid decarbonization of energy systems and halting deforestation.
Restoring degraded ecosystems and expanding monitoring of carbon sinks to detect and respond to reversals quickly are also essential.
Here is the source article for this story: UN agency says C02 levels hit record high last year, causing more extreme weather