Global Carbon Project (GCP) Report

The Global Carbon Project report for 2023 was released during the recent COP28 summit held in Dubai, UAE.

It is a Global Research Project of Future Earth and a research partner of the World Climate Research Programme.

• Established in – 2001
• It is prepared every year by a global consortium of scientists.

Aim – To develop a complete picture of the global carbon cycle, including both its biophysical and human dimensions together with the interactions and feedbacks between them.

Focus – On the global biogeochemical cycles which govern 3 greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), including their natural and human drivers, and opportunities for low carbon pathways.

Significance – It produces Global Carbon Budget annually which provides an in-depth look at the amount of fossil fuels that nations around the world burn and where it ends up.

• 2023 report – It projects fossil CO2 emissions of 36.8 billion tonnes in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022.
• Global emissions from coal, oil and gas are all projected to increase with most steep increase from oil.
• Atmospheric CO2 levels are projected to average 419.3 ppm in 2023, 51% above pre-industrial levels.

In India – CO2 emissions will cross 3 gigatons (gt) by the end of 2023, about 8% higher than the figure of 2022.

• India’s per capita emissions is only about 1.9 tonnes (against a world average of almost 5 tons) and its cumulative emissions is only 3% (as against 25% for US) of the global emissions.