Greenhouse gases reach highest levels in 40 years: Japan Meteorological Agency

Nov 16, 2023 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Last year's average global concentration of greenhouse gases recorded their highest levels since statistics began in 1984, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are classified as greenhouse gases because they trap heat and warm the Earth's surface.

In particular, carbon dioxide, which accounts for 64% of the impact on warming among greenhouse gases, has consistently increased over the past 40 years.

Last year's concentration reached 1.5 times the level compared to the late 18th century before the Industrial Revolution, while methane has more than doubled.

In recent years, the increase is believed to be due to the use of fossil fuels and climate changes in tropical regions.

As for nitrous oxide, its increase is mainly attributed to the widespread use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers in agriculture.

These analytical results are scheduled to be reported at the United Nations conference on climate change, COP28, at the end of November.

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