World energy outlook

The pre-industrial atmospheric concentration of CO2 stood at 280ppm while at November 2010 it stands at 386 ppm. This is the equivalent of about one trillion tons of additional CO2 in the atmosphere largely due to the activity of humans. The rate of CO2 emissions is predicted to grow steadily into the future without the implementation of a range of abatement measures. Climate simulations suggest that once emissions have gone to zero, the raised temperature of the Earth will remain at the same level for centuries which may lead to undesirable environmental processes. Illustration source: 'International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2009'.