In the same year, wildfires around the world contributed to a significant increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, surprising scientists.

Betts describes the current trajectory of CO2 emissions as 'another nail in the coffin of 1.5°C,' indicating that achieving this climate goal is now highly unlikely.

The El Niño climate cycle intensified the situation by creating hotter and drier conditions, although scientists believe the CO2 increase would have been substantial even without it.

2024 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures exceeding the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement, resulting in extreme weather events that affected billions.

The rise in CO2 levels has been attributed to emissions from fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and an increase in wildfires exacerbated by record global temperatures and the El Niño weather pattern.

At the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii, CO2 levels reached 427 parts per million (ppm), marking a 3.6 ppm increase from the previous year and far surpassing the pre-industrial level of 280 ppm.

Recent satellite observations revealed that the average global atmospheric CO2 level increased by 2.9 ppm in 2024, although this was not a record.

Meteorologists have linked these alarming trends to the ongoing climate crisis and the natural weather phenomenon of El Niño.

Currently, CO2 concentrations are over 50% higher than pre-industrial levels, primarily due to fossil fuel emissions and deforestation.

Experts like Prof. Richard Betts and Prof. Ralph Keeling emphasize the urgency of addressing the accelerating rise in CO2 and the potential long-term implications for the natural world's ability to absorb carbon.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized the fossil fuel industry for profiting while contributing to climate destruction, highlighting the disconnect between their profits and the suffering of everyday people.

The rapid rise in CO2 levels contradicts international efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C, a goal set by nearly 200 countries in the 2015 Paris Agreement.