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October 27,2021

Andrew Campbell 

The abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new high in 2020, with the annual rate of increase exceeding the average from 2011 to 2020. According to a report released on October 25 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), despite a temporary reduction during pandemic lockdowns, greenhouse gas concentrations reached a new record high in 2020 and increased at a faster rate than the annual average over the previous decade. This trend is expected to continue in 2021, according to the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.

According to the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, global greenhouse gas levels have reached a new high, putting the Paris Agreement temperature target in jeopardy. CO2 concentrations, the most important greenhouse gas, reached 413.2 parts per million in 2020, representing 149 percent of pre-industrial levels. Methane (CH4) levels are 262 percent lower and nitrous oxide (N2O) levels are 123 percent lower than they were in 1750, when humans began disrupting the Earth's natural equilibrium. Despite a temporary decrease in new emissions, the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 had no noticeable effect on atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases or their growth rates.

The UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, is taking place in Glasgow , Scotland, UK from October 31 to November 12. The WMO's Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas, described the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin as containing a stark, scientific message for climate change negotiators at COP26. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the COP26 host, has stated that making the necessary progress is far from certain. Prime Minister Johnson, on the other hand, is still hopeful that a deal to reduce carbon emissions and limit future temperature rises can be reached during the 12-day climate talks.