The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) entering Earth's atmosphere increased by a record amount in 2024, locking in further global warming, according to a new report.
CO2 levels increased by 3.5 parts per million (ppm) from 2023 to 2024, marking the largest one-year increase since modern records began in 1957. Researchers attributed the record rise to humanity's continued use of fossil fuels, a surge in wildfires, and less absorption from Earth's carbon sinks (such as oceans and forests) that naturally take CO2 out of the atmosphere.
