Despite repeated international pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions, global carbon dioxide levels reached a new peak in 2025, according to the Global Carbon Project. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere averaged 427 parts per million (ppm) in 2025, up from 422 ppm in 2024, driven largely by continued fossil fuel use and deforestation.
This increase comes as many nations, including major emitters like China, India, and the United States, have failed to meet their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported in its 2025 Emissions Gap Report that current policies put the world on track for a 2.9°C temperature rise by 2100, far exceeding the 1.5°C target.
Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have warned that every fraction of a degree of warming increases the risk of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss. The lack of decisive action, despite clear scientific evidence, has been described by many experts as a 'shameful inertia' that prioritizes short-term economic gains over long-term planetary health.
Activists and civil society groups have called for immediate, binding commitments to phase out fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy. The upcoming COP31 climate conference in 2026 is seen as a critical opportunity to translate pledges into concrete action, though skepticism remains high given the history of unfulfilled promises.
