The UN Climate Change Report 2007 at a Glance

Greenhouse Gas Increase (6/10)

The graph shows the increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) in the Earth’s atmosphere since 1970. Carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important GHG besides water vapor, is marked in red. CO2 emissions have nearly doubled from 15 Gigatons (GT) per year in 1970 to about 30 GT per year in 2004. The biggest chunk of CO2 emissions comes from the widespread use of fossil fuels; emissions from deforestation have remained more or less stable. An increase, though less pronounced than the surge in CO2 emissions, is also visible for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The most important source of these gases is agriculture, especially cattle farming (Graphic: IPCC).