Atmosphere's greenhouse gas concentrations at record high in 2019: WMO

TOKYO -- Average global carbon dioxide levels broke records again in 2019, with concentrations of 410.5 parts per million (ppm) of the gas found in the atmosphere, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed on Nov. 23.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has compiled and analyzed the WMO's greenhouse gases data, and reported that carbon dioxide concentration totals have been rising annually since records began in 1984.

Last year's worldwide average level rose 2.6 ppm compared to 2018, which exceeds the average rise over the last 10 years of 2.37 ppm per annum. The newly released figures represent an overall increase of around 1.5 times above pre-Industrial Revolution levels of around 278 ppm.

According to the JMA, the incremental rises in carbon dioxide concentrations have become somewhat greater in the long term. It appears that wider use of oil and other fossil fuels is behind the growing numbers.

Additionally, methane, which is 25 times stronger as a warming gas than carbon dioxide, also posted record average concentrations worldwide in 2019. It was measured at levels around 2.6 times higher than those before the Industrial Revolution.

(Japanese original by Mayumi Nobuta, Science & Environment News Department)