Carbon emissions are the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming, which can trigger extreme weather events, harm ecosystems, and lead to habitat loss.
The main source of carbon emissions is fossil fuel combustion, which produces CO2 and other greenhouse gases when burned for energy. Other sources include wildfires, the breakdown of organic materials in forests and wetlands, and some industrial processes, such as cement production.
Natural “sinks” — such as plant growth and ocean absorption — remove about half of the CO2 humans add to the atmosphere each year. The rest stays in the air. Because we are adding more carbon to the atmosphere than natural sinks can absorb, carbon dioxide levels continue to climb — creating a “carbon budget overshoot.”
Scientists use the data collected by the Mauna Loa atmospheric observatory in Hawaii to track the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Since continuous measurements began in 1958, the average atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by 50% — from 315 parts per million to 411 ppm today.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by buying food grown locally and using less electricity. Eating meat, for example, produces about 0.8 tons of CO2-e a year, due to the fossil fuels used to transport and process livestock feed. Achieving climate neutrality – eliminating all human-induced carbon emissions — will require international cooperation, innovation and comprehensive carbon accounting.