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9h ago

Atmospheric CO₂ Exceeds 430 ppm for First Time, Signaling Accelerated Climate Risks

This milestone underscores the urgent need to curb emissions to mitigate intensifying climate impacts.

A residential building engulfed in smog in the morning in Faridabad district of India's Haryana state, on April 26, 2025.
Evening view of the industrial landscape
Geophysicist Ralph Keeling in his lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego, where carbon dioxide levels are tested.
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Overview

  • Scripps and NOAA measurements show May 2025 CO₂ levels at Mauna Loa reached 430.2 ppm and 430.5 ppm, up about 3.5 ppm from last year’s peak.
  • Researchers warn that current concentrations surpass any seen in at least 30 million years, marking a profound shift in Earth’s climate.
  • The rise is driven by continued fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, amplified by natural seasonal fluctuations.
  • Higher CO₂ levels act as a heat-trapping blanket, fueling more frequent heat waves, droughts and ocean acidification.
  • Ongoing measurements at Mauna Loa since 1958, together with NOAA’s global network, form the benchmark Keeling Curve and Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network.