Greenhouse gases hit all-time high

LEVELS of greenhouse gases hit an all-time high last year – putting the world on course for catastrophic global heating, United Nations scientists warned yesterday.

The amount of carbon dioxide and other warming gases in the atmosphere rose more quickly in 2020 than in the previous decade, a trend that continued into 2021, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa said: ‘The message from this update is loud and clear: parties must urgently redouble their efforts if they are to prevent global temperature increases beyond the Paris Agreement’s goal of well below 2C – ideally 1.5C – by the end of the century.

‘Overshooting the temperature goals will lead to a destabilised world and endless suffering.’

The economic slowdown caused by Covid had negligible impact on greenhouse gases, said the WMO, although there was a temporary decline in new emissions.