CO2 Levels Explode At Record Pace, Threatening 1.5°C Climate Target

As the world’s most reliable climate monitoring station reveals shocking new data, scientists are sounding the alarm over atmospheric CO2 levels projected to hit a staggering 429.6 parts per million by May 2025. This isn’t just another climate stat. It’s the highest concentration Earth has seen in over two million years. Let that sink in.

The year-on-year increase is brutal—about 2.26 ppm higher than last year. Mauna Loa Observatory, tracking this mess since 1958, recorded their steepest annual rise between 2023 and 2024. February 2025 already hit 426.13 ppm, up from 422.81 ppm just a year earlier. That’s a 0.82% jump in twelve months. Not great.

Year-on-year CO2 increases are accelerating at a terrifying pace—we’re watching a planetary emergency unfold in real time.

Here’s the kicker: we’re blowing past all the limits scientists say we need to stay under. The IPCC—those buzzkill climate experts—say annual CO2 increases should stay below 1.8 ppm to have any shot at limiting warming to 1.5°C. We’re routinely crossing 2 ppm now. Every. Single. Year.

Global energy-related emissions aren’t helping either. They rose by 0.8% in 2024, hitting an all-time high of 37.8 gigatonnes. Fossil fuels, surprise surprise, are the main culprit. Aviation emissions saw a 5.5% surge amid record passenger demand, further worsening the situation. Electricity generation continues to be a massive contributor, accounting for over 40% of all energy-related emissions globally.

For perspective, pre-industrial CO2 levels hovered around 280 ppm. We’ve cranked that up by over 50% in the geological equivalent of a millisecond. Previous Earth periods with similar CO2 concentrations had much higher temperatures and sea levels. Spoiler alert: coastal cities weren’t part of the scenery then.

The Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal? It’s circling the drain. Current CO2 acceleration increases the risk of hitting climate tipping points—those nasty thresholds where change becomes irreversible. The December temperature already reached +1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, making it the 2nd warmest December on record.

Without dramatic emissions cuts, we’re on track to blow past climate targets that once seemed achievable. The measurements don’t lie. The upward trajectory continues with zero signs of slowing down. Time’s running out. Fast.