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Covid-19 has had an effect on the amount of emissions, but the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere do not appear to be decreasing, reports The Guardian.
In 2019, carbon dioxide levels were 410 parts per million, which is a record, and 2020 levels appear to rise thereafter, according to preliminary figures from the UN agency WMO, the world meteorological organization.
The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions during the pandemic shows that they are not close to what is needed, according to the WMO.
“Must cut emissions in half”
– The reduction in emissions related to shutdowns is only a small indication of the long-term graph, says WMO Director Petteri Taalas.
The WMO forecast is that carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 4.2 to 7.5 percent by 2020.
– For the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to fall, we must reduce emissions to a level below nature’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. This means that we must cut emissions at least in half to start reducing the concentration in the atmosphere, says Johan Kuylenstierna, associate professor of natural geography at Stockholm University and vice president of the Council for Climate Policy, to Dagens Nyheter.
