Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Reach Record Highs, Fueling Global Warming

(MENAFN) Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide climbed to unprecedented levels in 2025, intensifying concerns over long-term global warming that could persist for decades or even centuries, according to reports from the United Nations’ weather agency.

The latest findings show that the global average concentration of CO2 reached 426.8 parts per million, representing 153% of the level recorded before industrialization in 1750, which serves as the reference point for measuring changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

"Another year, another new record. Greenhouse gases are trapping an unprecedented amount of heat in the atmosphere, providing energy for more extreme weather and associated risks to our economies and societies," said Ko Barrett, the WMO’s deputy secretary-general.

Barrett also highlighted the persistence of rising temperatures, noting that the past 11 years had been "the warmest on record". She cautioned that the upward trend in global temperatures is likely to continue as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere.

"CO2 has a very long life-time and so will affect the global climate not just for years but for decades and even centuries," she said.

The report also revealed a significant acceleration in the annual increase of atmospheric CO2 over recent decades. Growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, climbing from an average of 0.8 parts per million per year to 2.4 parts per million annually between 2011 and 2020.

The increase continued between 2024 and 2025, when global CO2 concentrations rose by a further 2.8 parts per million. Ongoing reliance on fossil fuels and the emissions generated by their combustion contributed to the latest rise, reinforcing concerns about the planet’s long-term warming trajectory.

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