WMO: Atmospheric Levels Of Greenhouse Gases Set Record High In 2021

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has reported that the atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide -- all reached new record highs in 2021 and warned that businesses, governments, and humanity at large must work together to reduce emissions.’

Photo Insert: The annual atmospheric methane concentration increases in 2020 and 2021 (15 and 18 ppb respectively) are the largest since the systematic record began in 1983.

WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reported in October 2022 the biggest year-on-year jump in methane concentrations in both 2020 and 2021 since systematic measurements began nearly 40 years ago.

The reason for this exceptional increase is not clear, but seems to be a result of both biological and human-induced processes.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 149% of the pre-industrial level in 2021, primarily because of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and cement production.

Global emissions have rebounded since the COVID-related lockdowns in 2020. Of the total emissions from human activities during the 2011–2020 period, about 48% accumulated in the atmosphere, 26% in the ocean, and 29% on land.

There is concern that the ability of land ecosystems and oceans to act as “sinks” may become less effective in the future, thus reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and act as a buffer against larger temperature increases. In some parts of the world, the transition of the land sink into CO2 sources is already happening.

Atmospheric methane (CH4) is the second largest contributor to climate change and consists of a diverse mix of overlapping sources and sinks, so it is difficult to quantify emissions by source type.

Since 2007, globally-averaged atmospheric methane concentration has been increasing at an accelerating rate. The annual increases in 2020 and 2021 (15 and 18 ppb respectively) are the largest since the systematic record began in 1983.

Nitrous oxide is the third most important greenhouse gas. It is emitted into the atmosphere from both natural sources (approximately 57%) and anthropogenic sources (approximately 43%), including oceans, soils, biomass burning, fertilizer use, and various industrial processes.

The increase from 2020 to 2021 was slightly higher than that observed from 2019 to 2020 and higher than the average annual growth rate over the past 10 years.

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