The three main greenhouse gases in the air hit record levels last year. These are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide. “We are going in the wrong direction.”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – which came to this conclusion – calls it “another ominous warning of climate change”. WMO sees a “significant” increase in the concentration of methane in the air. This increase was greater than at any time in the nearly forty years of measurements.
It is not clear what is behind the massive increase. “It appears to be the result of biological and man-made processes.” An example of a biological process is when swamps or paddy fields become warmer. The organic matter then degrades faster and this can lead to methane emissions.
‘We are going in the wrong direction’
The carbon dioxide content also increased more than usual. The worldwide increase is expected to continue in 2022. WMO President Petteri Taalas stresses the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and “prevent future global warming”. According to him, the continuation of the rise shows that “we are going in the wrong direction”. “Time is running out,” said Talas.
Need more ambition
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), more ambitious targets are needed to comply with the agreements in the Paris Climate Agreement. In it, world leaders agreed to make efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions to no more than 2 degrees Celsius — and preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius — compared to the pre-industrial era. On average, the temperature on Earth is now 1.1 degrees higher than it was before industrialization.
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World Meteorological Organization
WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the United Nations organization specializing in weather, climate and water. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) asserts that as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue, global temperatures will continue to rise. Even if emissions drop immediately, carbon dioxide will remain in the atmosphere for years longer.
Climate Summit in November
The United Nations Environment Agency (UNEP) will release a separate report on Thursday. It assesses current and estimated future greenhouse gas emissions. The Environment Agency calculates the amount of global warming with promises countries have made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several studies are being published in the run-up to the UN Climate Conference COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
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