record increase in the concentration of methane in the atmosphere in 2021

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Less known than CO2, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. It is the second gas to have contributed to current global warming.

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The concentration of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, jumped in the atmosphere in 2021 to an all-time high, the UN reported on Wednesday (October 26th). At the same time, CO2 and nitrous oxide also continue to break records.

>> We explain what methane is, the other greenhouse gas that warms the climate

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes that the reason for this exceptional increase compared to 2020 in the rate of methane, which has a much stronger effect than CO2 but less durable, “is unclear, but appears to be the result of both biological and human-induced processes”.

These figures highlight “once again the enormous challenge and the vital need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent temperatures from rising even further in the future on a global level”said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

The UN climate agency has warned that the latest international commitments are “Very far from meet the Paris Agreement objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. “We are going in the wrong direction”he added.

The concentration of methane, the second most important contributor to global warming, increased by 15 and 18 parts per billion (PPB) respectively in 2020 and 2021. But the WMO general also recalls that the enemy to be killed above all is the carbon dioxide. “The top priority is to drastically and urgently reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are the main culprits of climate change and associated extreme weather events”warned Petteri Taalas.


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