Greenhouse gas emissions reach new record high, UN reports

Governments aren't doing enough to slash climate-heating gases and avert the worst impacts of global warming, according to a United Nations report released this week.

The UN's World Meteorological Organisation have warned levels of the three main greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - have all broken records last year.

Record levels of heat-trapping gases means we'll continue to experience more extreme weather, with temperatures set to further increase, and sea levels rise.

WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, said:

“Despite decades of warnings from the scientific community, thousands of pages of reports and dozens of climate conferences, we are still heading in the wrong direction.

“The current level of greenhouse gas concentrations puts us on the pathway of an increase in temperatures well above the Paris Agreement targets by the end of this century. This will be accompanied by more extreme weather, including intense heat and rainfall, ice melt, sea-level rise and ocean heat and acidification. The socioeconomic and environmental costs will soar. We must reduce the consumption of fossil fuels as a matter of urgency."

The report comes just weeks before world leaders are due to meet in Dubai for this year's United National Climate Change Conference (COP28).

In it, it shows global averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2022 were a full 50% above the pre-industrial era for the first time. They continue to grow in 2023.

Climate experts have warned they "see no end in sight to the rising trend", largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels.

Environmental activist group, Extinction Rebellion, have responded to the report.

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Di Cross from their Salisbury branch, said the findings should worry everyone.

"It's appalling and I just despair at what it is that we need to do to wake people up. It just expresses how far governments are from hitting net zero targets. To be ramping up rather than cutting down on fossil fuel production and use, I hate to think what that is unleashing on the world.

"By not tackling these things today, we're just making things worse and storing up a bigger problem for tomorrow. We saw it in the last storms, with houses in Scotland all the way down to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire flooded. That will become the norm, it won't be an unusual event. We have to ask ourselves, how prepared we are to tolerate that."

Last month, the UK oil and gas regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority, issued 27 new oil and gas exploration licenses despite strong criticism from climate activists.

Ms Cross has urged the UK Government to take the climate emergency more seriously.

"Be told that you're facing societal breakdown and, instead of increasing the amount of renewables and our investment in green energy... they issue new gas and oil licenses. We understand the science, yet we're choosing to ignore it."

Official figures from 2020 show the UK has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 47% since 1990. Emissions from fossil fuels increased by 6.7% in 2021, but were still 4.9% down compared to 2019.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said:

“The UK is a global leader on climate action - we have cut emissions faster than any other major country and have set into law one of the most ambitious emissions targets in the world.

“Domestic gas production generates a quarter of the emissions of Liquified Natural Gas imports, and new oil and gas licenses will support UK jobs, attract investment, increase tax revenues, and support the skills needed for the green transition.

“We will continue to meet our international commitments under the Paris Agreement, while embracing the opportunities of clean industries, protecting national security and bringing down energy bills in the long term.”

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