Unprecedented Rise of Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions

(University of Bern, August 20, 2020)

Using high-resolution measurements made on an Antarctic ice core to reconstruct previous CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere, a team of European researchers led by the University of Bern recently demonstrated that although abrupt CO₂ rises are a pervasive feature of our climate system, today’s anthropogenic CO₂ rise far exceeds any natural precedent. According to lead author Christoph Nehrbass-Ahles, "natural jumps in the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere happened almost ten times slower than the human-driven increase over the last decade." In addition, the study found that the largest centennial CO₂ jump in the past is approximately equivalent to current CO₂ emissions over only six years, thereby underlining the need for continued efforts to protect the climate.