Dec 6, 2023
The nations of the world are pumping record amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere in 2023. That's based on a report released Tuesday at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The report came even though climate experts have been warning that failure to quickly bring down greenhouse gas emissions could doom the planet.
The world is on track to spew nearly 41 billion tons of heat-trapping CO2 into the air in 2023. That's from the Global Carbon Project. It's a 1.1% increase from 2023. The world’s two largest nations, China and India, are leading the way. Growth in air travel is also a major factor. Combined, they are producing an increase from 2022 of 836 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Emissions are decreasing by a small amount in the rest of the world in 2023. That includes emissions from the EU and the US. But the US remains the world’s second biggest greenhouse gas polluter behind China.
“We are clearly not going in the right direction,” the lead study author told The Associated Press.
The report suggests that the chances of avoiding many of the worst effects of climate change have gotten worse. To do so, experts have stated that global temperatures must rise less than 1.5 degree Celsius (°C) above what it was 200 years ago. Many countries have signed pledges agreeing with that target. But hitting it would require major cuts in emissions. Not many governments have proven willing to make such cuts yet.
“You would think the extreme events around the world would be sparking action," climate expert Claire Stockwell told The Guardian. But, she said, governments have not seemed to notice.
Reflect: How might small changes in our actions make a big difference in protecting the environment?
Is It Too Late to Stop Climate Change? Well, It's Complicated.
This video fromĀ Kurzgesagt evaluates the causes of our increasing global carbon footprint, using graphs and real-world examples to discuss each factor in-depth.
Climate Change Toolkit: Calculating the Rate of Change of Atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>
This activity involves drawing best-fit lines on a data graph and calculating the slopes of those lines to compare the rate of increase in CO2Ā concentrations over different time periods.
Actions to Fight Climate Change
This video shows how some European cities, such as Paris, have lowered their greenhouse gas emissions by using energy efficiently.