In 2010, world production of greenhouse gases reached record levels, marking an increase of 6% over the previous year and reaching peaks never touched before. This is what emerges from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (Cdiac), developed by the US Department of Energy.
The dossier highlights for 2010 the emission of more than 33,5 billion tons of CO2, with an increase of 5,9% compared to 2009 and 4,5% compared to the previous record of 2008. The main responsibilities for this trend they are attributable to the United States and China, which alone cover half of the additional CO2 emitted, while in terms of energy sources, coal has given the greatest contribution, with an 8% growth in emissions.
The concentration of carbon dioxide detected in the atmosphere in 2010 is about 390 ppm (parts per million), an increase of 2,2 ppm per year. At the Cancun climate conference, held in 2010, a non-binding agreement was defined to limit global warming to 2 degrees and to reduce CO2 emissions so as not to exceed 450 ppm. However, only the European Union has approved specific directives on this issue.
