UN weather agency sounds alarm on greenhouse gases

The World Meteorological Organization on Monday warned that greenhouse gas concentrations had hit a new record and have continued to increase higher than the annual average over the last decade despite a 5.6% drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The U.N. weather agency said concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are all above levels in the pre-industrial era pegged to before 1750. The report came just days before the start of COP26 in Scotland. The 2020 increase was higher than the annual average over the last decade despite a 5.6% drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels due to COVID-19 restrictions.