The world pumped more carbon pollution into the air last year than ever before, scientists announced ahead of a United Nations summit on climate change. Led by China, the United States and India, the world sent an estimated 39.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air last year by burning coal, oil and gas — 2.3 percent more than the year before.
“It’s in the wrong direction,” Glen Peters, a Norwegian scientist who is part of the team that calculates global emissions every year, told The Associated Press.
The scientists said that emissions are forecast to increase, and that the world is projected to warm by about 2 degrees over the next 30 years. World leaders have called that level dangerous and unacceptable. More than 100 world leaders will meet Tuesday at the U.N. Climate Summit to discuss how to reverse the emissions trend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
