It is a gas naturally produced by animals during respiration and through the decomposition of biomass, and used by plants during photosynthesis. Although it makes up just 0.04% of the atmosphere, it is one of the most important greenhouse gases (GHGs). The burning of fossil fuels is increasing the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.
The GHGs concentration in the atmosphere is measured in parts per million (ppm). Values before the industrial revolution were around 280 ppm. In July 2023, the values recorded were around 420 ppm, which means that there was an increase of around 50% compared to pre-industrialization levels. It is estimated that to keep the temperature increase below 1.5ºC, the concentration must be between 425 ppm and 785 ppm, within a confidence interval of 5% to 95%.
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