According to CCTV news, on October 15, local time, the World Meteorological Organization released the latest issue of the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, pointing out that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will hit a record high in 2024, exacerbating the problem of rising temperatures facing the earth.

The World Meteorological Organization noted that the continued emissions of carbon dioxide and wildfires from human activities are the causes of this phenomenon, coupled with a reduction in the absorption of carbon dioxide from land ecosystems and oceans, which could lead to a vicious cycle of climate change.

On August 7, 2025, a mountain fire broke out in Ventura County, California, USA. Published by Xinhua Agency

The World Meteorological Organization also pointed out that from 2023 to 2024, global average carbon dioxide concentrations soared by 3.5 ppm (parts per million), the largest increase since modern measurements began in 1957. Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide have also risen to record levels.

World Meteorological Organization officials say the last time such high levels of carbon dioxide occurred in Earth's history was about 300 to 5 million years ago, when humans had not yet appeared on Earth.

The world reaches its first climate tipping point

According to the Global Critical Point Report, co-written and published by 160 scientists from 87 institutions in 23 countries, the world has reached its first climate critical point.

As global warming breaks the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world is rapidly approaching a series of catastrophic critical points, with hot-water coral reef mass deaths being the first significant sign, the report said.This means that humans have entered a new "climate reality" that the stability of several critical systems on Earth is facing unprecedented threats.

A new report jointly completed by 160 international researchers released on October 12 pointed out that most coral reefs around the world are expected to experience severe decline due to the sharp rise in sea temperature. At the same time, scientists warn that the world is also standing on the edge of other key climate critical points, including the degradation of Amazon rainforest, the collapse of major ocean current systems and the disappearance of polar ice sheets.

However, there are different voices in the academic community. Some experts believe that although coral reefs do face decline, it may be too early to say that the entire coral reef system has passed the critical point.

Source: CCTV News, Financial Associated Press, The Paper