UN weather agency sounds warning as greenhouse gas levels hit record high

The UN’s weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said on Monday that greenhouse gas concentrations hit a new record high in 2020, increasing at a faster rate than the annual average for the last decade despite a temporary reduction during pandemic lockdowns. WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the current rate of increase in heat-trapping gases would result in temperature rises “far in excess” of the 2015 Paris Agreement target.

• Greenhouse gas levels hit record high in 2020, UN reports