Context:
According to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, rising by more than 10% in just two decades.
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Greenhouse Gas Bulletin
- Highlights from the Latest Report
Greenhouse Gas Bulletin
Publication and Purpose:
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin annually since 2004. This report is essential for tracking changes in the concentrations of key greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) globally.
- It is designed to provide scientific data for policy-makers, particularly in preparation for the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP).
Key Insights and Data:
- The Bulletin reports on the globally averaged surface concentrations of these gases, offering comparisons with previous years and pre-industrial levels.
- It also examines the role these gases play in radiative forcing, a measure of their impact on Earth’s energy balance and, consequently, on climate.
Highlights from the Latest Report
Concentration Levels in 2023:
- Carbon dioxide levels reached 420 parts per million (ppm), methane levels at 1934 parts per billion (ppb), and nitrous oxide at 336.9 ppb.
- These levels underline significant ongoing increases in greenhouse gases due to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and cement production.
Impacts and Contributions:
- CO2 remains the dominant greenhouse gas, responsible for approximately 64% of the anthropogenic warming effect.
- The variability in CO2 levels is influenced annually by phenomena such as the El Nino–Southern Oscillation, which affects global carbon cycles and atmospheric concentrations.
- Methane, which is particularly effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere, contributes about 16% to the warming impact of GHGs but stays in the atmosphere for a shorter duration compared to CO2.
- Nitrous oxide, besides contributing to warming, also plays a role in ozone depletion, accounting for about 6% of the warming impact from GHGs.
Long-term Trends and Effects:
- Since 1990, there has been a 51.5% increase in radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases, with CO2 accounting for about 81% of this increase, highlighting the significant role of human activities in climate change.
-Source: The Hindu
