Atmospheric CO2 concentration hits a record high, WMO says

The average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere near the Earth's surface reached a record level in 2025. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), it rose to 426.8 parts per million, or 153 percent of the 1750 value, when the Industrial Revolution was beginning.

Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide, two other long-lived greenhouse gases linked to human activity, also hit records, the WMO said.

The WMO's annual reports serve as a source of scientific information for participants in UN climate conferences. In November, the next climate conference will take place in Antalya, Turkey, with the aim of turning earlier climate pledges into concrete action.

A week ago, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that under current global climate policies the planet will be 2.8 degrees Celsius warmer than in the pre-industrial era by the end of the century. The 2015 Paris Agreement envisions countries striving to limit the rise in average temperature to 1.5 degrees in order to soften the impact of extreme weather.

To stay within that limit, UNEP estimates, global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut sharply: by 18 percent by 2030, by 45 percent by 2035 and by 69 percent by 2040. In every case the comparison is with the 2025 level.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz