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Ulviyya Poladova

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The levels of carbon dioxide and other major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached unprecedented highs in 2025, making further long-term global warming inevitable, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported.

According to the WMO’s new Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide at the surface reached 426.8 parts per million (ppm) in 2025, equivalent to 153% of the pre-industrial baseline recorded in 1750.

The report also states that atmospheric concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide, both linked to human activities, rose to new record levels. The rate of increase in carbon dioxide has tripled since the 1960s.

The WMO noted that approximately half of all carbon dioxide emitted each year remains in the atmosphere, while the rest is absorbed by land ecosystems and the oceans.

Between 2011 and 2020, the average annual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was 2.4 ppm. The report also projects that the global average concentration of carbon dioxide will rise by 2.8 ppm between 2024 and the end of 2026.

Commenting on the findings, WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said another annual record had been set.

"Greenhouse gases are trapping unprecedented amounts of heat in the atmosphere, driving more extreme weather events and increasing the risks to our economies and societies," Barrett emphasized.

She added that the world had experienced the 11th warmest year since observations began and that the trend was expected to continue.

Image: Tatiana Grozetskaya / Shutterstock