HEAT-TRAPPING GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE REPORT

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record last year (2020), with the annual rate of increase above the 2011-2020 average.
This is despite the approximately 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissionsin 2020 due to restrictions related to the pandemic.
Earlier, the WMO released a report named United in Science 2021. WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Programme coordinates systematic observations and analysis of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric constituents.

Important points:

Concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas, reached 413.2 parts per million in 2020 and is 149% of the pre-industrial level.
Many countries are now setting carbon neutral targets and it is hoped that COP26(Climate Conference) will see a dramatic increase in commitments.
Methane (CH4) is 262% and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is 123% of the levels in 1750 when human activities started disrupting Earth’s natural equilibrium.
The economic slowdown from Covid-19 did not have any distinguishable impact on the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and their growth rates, although there was a temporary decline in new emissions.
From 1990 to 2020, radiative forcing – the warming effect on our climate – by long-lived greenhouse gases increased by 47%, with CO2 accounting for about 80% of this increase.
The ability of land ecosystems and oceans to act as “sinks” may become less effective in future, thus reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and act as a buffer against larger temperature increases.

SOURCE: THTE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

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