UN weather agency reports greenhouse gas record levels

The U.N.’s weather agency reported that greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification reached record highs last year. WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas said that there have not been improvements in tackling greenhouse gasses despite lockdowns caused by the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization said  "And then we have broken records in main greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and especially the record in carbon dioxide is striking, we haven't seen any improvement despite of the lockdowns caused by COVID in 2020, so the concentrations still continue growing."

He added that sea levels rose by 4.5 millimeters per year, compared to records of 2 millimeters per year 20 years ago. Taalas noted that the earth's ecosystem was changing as a result of climate change and biological life in the oceans was becoming extinct due to warming and acidification.