The global surface average for carbon dioxide (CO2), calculated from measurements collected at NOAA’s remote sampling locations, was 412.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2020, rising by 2.6 ppm during the year.
The global rate of rise was the fifth-highest in NOAA’s 63-year record, following 1987, 1998, 2015 and 2016. The annual mean at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii was 414.4 ppm during 2020.
Economic slowdown prevented a record increase in CO2
The economic recession was estimated to have lowered carbon emissions by about 7% during 2020. Without the economic slowdown, last year’s rise would have been the highest on record, according to Pieter Tans, senior scientist at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory. Since 2000, the global CO2 average has grown by 43.5ppm, an increase of 12%.
Colorado
United-states
Mauna-loa-observatory
Hawaii
American-samoa
Alaska
Ed-dlugokencky
Colm-sweeney
Global-monitoring-laboratory
Atmospheric-administration
Institute-of-arctic
University-of-colorado