Climateupdated 33m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 23 April 2025WMO Warns Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Hit Record Highs in 2025, Climate Impacts Last Centuries
4 Western Mainstream1 Asian1 Other1 West AsianPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Global CO2 concentration averaged 426.8 ppm in 2025. Methane and nitrous oxide also reached record highs in 2025.
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Record gases lock in warming
The World Meteorological Organization warned that greenhouse gas concentrations reached record highs in 2025, locking in climate impacts that will persist for centuries to come. The WMO said globally averaged carbon dioxide concentrations reached 426.8 parts per million, equivalent to 153% of pre-industrial levels seen in 1750. Ko Barrett, the WMO deputy secretary-general, said, "Another year, another new record."
Ko Barrett added, "Greenhouse gases are trapping an unprecedented amount of heat in the atmosphere, providing energy for more extreme weather and associated risks to our economies and societies," as the WMO released its 22nd annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. The WMO said the past 11 years have been "the warmest on record" and that the warming trend is expected to continue.
Growth rates and El Niño
The WMO said the annual CO2 growth rate rose from 0.8 parts per million during 1960s levels to 2.4 parts per million during 2011-2020, and it said between 2024 and 2025 concentrations rose by another 2.8 parts per million. Oksana Tarasova, the WMO senior scientific officer, explained that the slowdown reflected "the recovery of the land carbon sink and reduced carbon emissions from fires in 2025 after the strong El Niño event of 2023-2024". The WMO said methane concentrations reached 1,948 parts per billion, or 267% of pre-industrial levels, while nitrous oxide climbed to 339.1 parts per billion, equivalent to 126% of the baseline from 1750.
Tarasova warned that "We can expect to see a further increase in concentrations in 2026" because of fossil fuel burning and the development of a powerful El Niño. The WMO also warned that sulfur hexafluoride saw its largest annual increase in 2025 despite having a warming potential approximately over 24,000 times greater than CO2.
COP31 and what is at risk
The WMO said its findings were published in the WMO's 22nd annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin ahead of the COP31 UN climate summit hosted by Türkiye. The WMO said COP31 is scheduled to take place from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Turkey, as governments are expected to discuss translating climate commitments into concrete action. Ko Barrett warned, "CO2 has a very long life-time and so will affect the global climate not just for years but for decades and even centuries," linking the record concentrations to long-term temperature impacts.
The WMO said the bulletin examines greenhouse gas concentrations, meaning the amount present in the atmosphere, rather than the new emissions released each year through the continued use of coal, oil and natural gas. The WMO said the report highlights the need to pay greater attention to molecular hydrogen (H2) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as countries move towards decarbonizing their energy systems.