UN Warns 2024 Greenhouse Gases Hit Records as CO2 Jumps 3.5 ppm

Overview

• The WMO’s annual bulletin confirms record atmospheric levels of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, with CO2 rising 3.5 ppm from 2023 to 2024, the largest increase since measurements began in 1957.
• The surge reflects sustained fossil-fuel use, exceptional wildfires in the Americas with especially high emissions in Bolivia and record totals in Brazil’s Amazonas and Mato Grosso do Sul, a strong El Niño, and weakening land and ocean sinks.
• About half of yearly CO2 emissions remain in the atmosphere as natural sinks lose efficiency, locking in warming for centuries and contributing to 2024 being the hottest year on record, according to UN scientists.
• Experts call for stronger measurement and accountability, with UNEP’s IMEO pushing satellite and drone detection as the IEA estimates global methane emissions run about 80% above national reports and EU import rules tighten from 2027.
• Brazil’s COP30 leadership is prioritizing scalable methane reductions across energy, agriculture and waste, with stakeholders highlighting on-farm practices, financing hurdles, organic waste valorization and the role of waste pickers in implementation.