**Record Surge of Planet-Warming Gases Raises Concerns for Climate Goals**

Scientists report unprecedented carbon dioxide levels, highlighting urgent action needed to limit global warming to 1.5C.

Levels of carbon dioxide, the leading driver of climate change, surged to record highs in 2024, with scientists warning that the increase poses a significant threat to global efforts to curb rising emissions. Concentrations of this greenhouse gas are now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels, a level associated primarily with human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

The record-breaking levels of fossil fuel emissions correlate with severe environmental conditions, including persistent wildfires and drought, which diminished nature's capacity to absorb CO2. This situation has been deemed "incompatible" with international climate goals aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, a pledge initially agreed upon by nearly 200 countries during the historic 2015 UN Paris Agreement.

The recently confirmed 2024 temperatures mark it as the hottest year recorded so far and the first instance of average global temperatures exceeding the 1.5C threshold. While this does not officially breach the Paris Agreement, the ongoing increase in atmospheric CO2 signifies a troubling trend towards potential future breaches. Met Office climate expert Richard Betts emphasizes that a reversal of the CO2 rise is needed to meet climate targets, yet contrary indicators show that emissions continue to climb.

The annual increase in CO2 levels, reaching more than 424 parts per million (ppm) from 2023 to 2024, represents the most significant rise since atmospheric measurements began at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory in 1958. Contributing factors to this spike include natural occurrences like the El Niño phenomenon, which elevates global temperatures and alters weather patterns, further stressing natural carbon absorption mechanisms. Simultaneously, widespread wildfires, even in regions not typically influenced by El Niño, exacerbated CO2 emissions.

Concern is mounting that the natural ecosystem's capacity to act as a carbon sink could be drastically undermined. Changes in the Arctic tundra and severe climate impacts on the Amazon rainforest threaten the ability of these natural services to mitigate CO2 levels. Experts stress the need for close monitoring of these evolving ecosystems.

Looking ahead, the Met Office anticipates a lesser increase in CO2 levels in 2025, primarily due to the transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions, which generally facilitate greater CO2 uptake by natural systems. Despite this potential decrease, climate experts caution that warming will persist due to ongoing CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere.

With these developments presenting clear challenges to climate targets, the urgency for robust climate action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions has never been more pressing.