What do we see?
The graph shows a significant increase in the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere. In 2022, an average concentration of 418.53 ppmv was measured, a 50% increase compared to pre-industrial levels. During this last year, the concentration still increased by 2.1 ppmv, a growth rate significantly higher than in the 1990s (1.5 ppmv /year on average).
What’s the aim?
Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing an increase in global average temperatures, resulting in shifts in ecological equilibria and changes in extreme weather phenomena. In its Flemish Climate Policy Plan, the Flemish government has endorsed the objective of ensuring that the global temperature increase does not exceed 2 °C by 2050 compared to pre-industrial times. To reduce the probability of exceeding 2 °C warming to 50% or less, a limit of 450 ppmv CO₂ equivalent is proposed for all greenhouse gases combined. To this end, emissions of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases should be reduced as quickly as possible, not only in Flanders but globally. Emissions are to a large extent related to the consumption of materials: a more efficient and limited use of materials and more sustainable extraction of them therefore has a direct impact on emissions.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures the global concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The data comes from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
