Global greenhouse gas emissions are set to hit a new high in 2023, after a 1.3 percent increase since 2022, according to data from UNEP's 2024 Emissions Caps report released on Thursday.

Last year, total greenhouse gas emissions reached 57.1 gigatons of CO2 equivalent. In 2023, the energy sector was the largest contributor to emissions with 15.1 GtCO2e, followed by transport (8.4 GtCO2e), agriculture (6.5 GtCO2e) and industry (6.5 GtCO2e). Within transport, the subcategory of road vehicles produced the most emissions (11 percent), while air transport and other modes of transport accounted for two percent each. Agriculture was also responsible for an 11 percent share of global emissions, of which six percent was attributed to livestock and five percent to burning biomass, land and rice. (Anna Fleck, more at statista.com)

Existing government climate plans will lead to "catastrophic global warming", warns the UN Environment Program in its 2024 emissions cap report. If countries continue to reduce emissions resulting from current government policies, UNEP estimates that global temperature increases will reach at the end of the century, 3.1 °C. And even if the new commitments, set out in the Nationally Determined Contributions, are translated into policies and implemented, UNEP still predicts a temperature increase of 2.6°C by 2050. (More on sustainableviews.com)

The Technology Executive Committee (TEC), the political arm of the United Nations Technology Mechanism for Climate Change, has committed to strengthening cooperation in the deployment of climate technologies to adapt to climate change, especially in the regions most affected by the climate crisis. Countries should integrate technological aspects into their national climate plans, for example by implementing early warning systems to support risk-based climate resilience policy and action. TEC recently met in Bonn, Germany to highlight recent successes in scaling up climate action through technological innovation. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

Researchers analyzed ice cores collected in Greenland to provide new understanding of these sudden shifts. The cores contained data dating back 120,000 years, including evidence of sudden climate shocks called Dansgaard-Oeschger events.

These represent "tipping points" in the Earth's climate. Imagine a person standing on the edge of a cliff. One wrong step sends them into a dangerous abyss. That's the tipping point. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at earth.com)

The world's top 20 economies, collectively known as the G20, need to adopt ambitious sustainable industrial strategies and financial policies to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C above (more…)

Are global forest fires becoming more frequent and intense? According to a new study, the answer is clearly yes. Research reveals that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from forest fires have increased by 60 % globally since 2001. In some northern boreal forests, which are acutely sensitive to climate change, CO2 emissions have nearly tripled over this time frame. (Rodielon Putol, more at earth.com)

Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.

22 October 423.75 ppm

21 October 423.74 ppm

20 October 423.73 ppm

19 October 423.73 ppm

18 October 423.72 ppm

Safe concentration: 350 ppm

ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.

Last updated: October 20, 2024

More on gml.noaa.gov

Analysis of air bubbles trapped in ice cores more than 200,000 years old provides evidence of moments in the planet's history when the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere suddenly increased. And it suggests we could be on the cusp of a similar event… But this increase, which would overlap with human emissions, remains well below the level of CO2 we're currently emitting. (Etienne Legrain, Emilie Capron, more at science-et-vie.com)

"Understanding where methane comes from helps us guide effective mitigation strategies," said Sylvia Michel, senior research assistant at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and a doctoral student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at CU Boulder. "We need to know more about these emissions to understand what climate future we can expect."

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for about a third of global warming since industrialization. Although the atmosphere contains less methane than carbon dioxide, methane traps about 30 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years, making it a critical target for addressing climate change. (University of Colorado at Boulder, more at phys.org)

Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.

19 October 423.73 ppm

18 October 423.72 ppm

Safe concentration: 350 ppm

ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.

Last updated: October 20, 2024

More on gml.noaa.gov

Climate change affects economic stability and growth in many countries. The World Bank, together with development partners, has collected data that highlights potential risks and impacts (more…)

A major new study reveals that emissions of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) from wildfires has increased globally by 60 % since 2001 and nearly tripled in some of the most climate-sensitive northern boreal forests.

An international study involving people from 11 countries has shown that most people, including those in the areas most affected by climate change, do not understand the concept of "climate justice". However, they recognize the social, historical and economic injustices that characterize the climate crisis. The findings could help create more effective communication and advocacy.

The findings show that a basic recognition of the social, historical and economic injustices that characterize the climate crisis is common worldwide, even if people do not consciously connect this understanding with the concept of climate justice.

Researchers found that two-thirds of people in these countries have never heard of climate justice. Most people surveyed supported beliefs related to climate justice, including that poorer people suffer worse from the effects of climate change (78 % agree), people from the most affected communities should have a greater say in decisions about climate change. (78 %) and that capitalism and colonialism are fundamental elements of the climate crisis (70 %). Endorsement of these climate justice beliefs was also positively associated with engagement in climate action and support for just climate policies. (University of Nottingham, more at phys.org)

On 16 October 2024, the European Commission adopted a delegated act to clarify the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime vessels in the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Regulation for maritime transport from 2025. As part of the "Fit for 55" package, the MRV Maritime Regulation was revised in 2023 to include greenhouse gas emissions from seagoing ships within its scope from 1 January 2025. It should apply to all seagoing ships of 400 gross tonnage and above. (More on climate.ec.europa.eu)

The impact of climate change on migration, both current and future, has received considerable public and political attention in the last decade. A new IIASA-led study has provided the first comprehensive analysis of how climate factors—specifically drought and drought—affect internal migration. While public debate often focuses on international migration, existing scientific evidence suggests that when climate factors drive migration, it often results in short-distance movements within national borders. However, there is a lack of scientific studies investigating climate-induced internal migration in different countries. A new study published in Nature Climate Change used census microdata from 72 countries between 1960 and 2016 to provide the first global assessment of how environmental stress affects migration across national borders. (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, more at sciencedaily.com)

Climate change is disrupting the weather and putting further pressure on our water resources and ecosystems. According to the assessment of the European Environment Agency (EEA), European water management practices are insufficiently adapted to cope with such a rapid and large-scale change that will threaten water security. Better water management is the key to improving water resilience, easing water pressure and ensuring sufficient quality water for European citizens, nature and industry.

The Ministry of Economy submitted a draft of the updated national climate plan for comments. This document proposes to increase the share of renewable energy sources in total consumption to 25 percent. The original plans from 2019 envisaged a 19 percent increase.

FROM updated proposal According to the integrated national energy and climate plan for the period 2021-2030, Slovakia should reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors outside the emissions trading system by 22.7 percent by 2030.

This plan is a strategic document focused on energy and the environment, where each member country sets its own national goals and priorities. Slovakia was supposed to submit its updated version of the plan to the Commission. (Co2AI)

In September, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, presented an ambitious plan for the next five years, which aims to achieve sustainable prosperity in the European Union. (more…)