UN body: Atmospheric CO2 reached record level in 2025
27.10.2026
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere reached a new record last year of 426.8 parts per million (ppm), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on Tuesday.
The concentration increased by 2.8 ppm between 2024 and 2025. According to the report by the UN's atmospheric science body, the total level corresponds to 153% of the CO2 concentration before the beginning of the industrial era in 1750.
"A new year, a new record," WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said. Greenhouse gases were trapping an unprecedented amount of heat, providing energy for extreme weather and other risk factors, Barrett said.
The rise was slightly slower than that recorded between 2023 and 2024, which was marked by a strong El Niño event. Among other effects, the climate phenomenon contributed to a greater number of wildfires, resulting in increased emissions.
El Niño occurs every few years, and the climate phenomenon has begun again this year. For this reason, among others, the WMO expects CO2 levels to rise further in 2026.
The burning of fossil fuels is also contributing to the increase, WMO scientist Oksana Tarasova said. At the same time, there is a growing risk that the oceans will become less capable of absorbing CO2.
According to the report, carbon dioxide accounts for 66% of the greenhouse effect caused by gases. Another 16% is attributable to methane, which is released, among other sources, through agriculture, the extraction of fossil fuels and landfill sites.
Methane concentrations also reached a record high last year, as did concentrations of nitrous oxide.
According to the United Nations, current global climate policies put the world on course for warming of 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. The international community had intended to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
However, according to the WMO, the transition to non-fossil energy sources also presents climate-related challenges.
The report states that the global shift towards electrification has been accompanied by a continuous increase in atmospheric concentrations of sulphur hexafluoride over recent decades. The gas, which is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, is used in electrical switchgear, among other applications.
The WMO called for greater attention to hydrogen, which is finding use as an energy source in transport and steel production.
Although not itself a greenhouse gas, hydrogen leaks from pipelines or fuel cells are becoming an increasing cause for concern, the WMO warned. Hydrogen affects the chemical composition of the atmosphere and therefore has a significant indirect effect on global warming.
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