Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, trap heat in the atmosphere by keeping solar radiation near Earth’s surface rather than escaping to space. These gases, in addition to water vapor and airborne particles, are key drivers of global climate change, a process known as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gas concentrations are currently at their highest level in recorded history.
Human emissions of these gases drive climate change, and the rate at which they rise continues to accelerate. Many of the most dangerous GHGs are produced by activities such as burning fossil fuels to produce electricity, producing food and transporting goods.
Atmospheric levels of CO2 have reached record highs, and methane levels have risen as well. These increases are mainly due to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and landfills. Other GHGs are produced by natural processes such as the breakdown of organic matter in soil and the digestive system of grazing animals. A molecule of methane stays in the atmosphere for 12 years, making it far less potent than CO2 over two decades, but it is still an important contributor to GHG-related radiative forcing.
The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme provides data on the atmospheric burdens of the three main long-lived greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. This information is compiled and published by the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG), part of NOAA’s ESRL cooperative air sampling network, with support from other countries.
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