WMO News Archive - November 2010

Like in the past, WMO is taking an active part in the 16th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010.

See WMO’s new web pages for the UN Climate Change Conference. The pages contain information on WMO-related side events, contact information for journalists, the latest WMO science news, partnership suggestions, success stories using climate information and a range of background materials.

Regular updates will be available during COP 16, including the WMO Statement on the status of the global climate in 2010, which will be released on 2 December.

See: www.wmo.int/cop16

Greenhouse Gases Reach Record Levels
(posted on 24 November)

Concentrations of the main greenhouse gases have reached their highest levels recorded since pre-industrial times, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s 2009 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. The report also highlights concerns that global warming may lead to even greater emissions of methane from Arctic areas.

According to the Bulletin, total radiative forcing of all long-lived greenhouse gases increased by 27.5 per cent from 1990 to 2009 and by 1.0 per cent from 2008 to 2009, reflecting the rising atmospheric burdens of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide,

“Greenhouse gas concentrations have reached record levels despite the economic slowdown. They would have been even higher without the international action taken to reduce them,” said WMO Secretary-General Mr Michel Jarraud. “In addition, potential methane release from northern permafrost, and wetlands, under future climate change is of great concern and is becoming a focus of intensive research and observations.”

Press release

Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

UN Secretary-General at MeteoWorld: "Now more than ever, we need tools to adapt"
(posted on 3 November)



	UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits the MeteoWorld pavilion in Shanghai, China

On 30 October, MeteoWorld pavilion received its 809 856th visitor: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"Weather, climate and ecosystems are quintessential global issues," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message. "They cross borders, affect us all, shape almost every aspect of our lives — from the places we live to the food we eat and the jobs we have... Now more than ever, we need better information and tools to help us strengthen resilience and adapt to adverse consequences.

"Climate change is not some future scenario – it’s here today, bringing with it new challenges for our common future," he underlined in the message. "MeteoWorld illustrates how the international meteorological community, working together under the auspices of a UN Agency, can improve the safety and well-being of millions."

The UN Secretary-General visited the pavilion in the company of World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Michel Jarraud and Zheng Guoguang, Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration.

MeteoWorld was a feature of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, which ran from May through October. The first-ever meteorological pavilion in the 159-year World Expo history, MeteoWorld has been a joint initiative of the World Meteorological Organization and the China Meteorological Administration, with partners.

The award-winning pavilion demonstrated how WMO and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services help communities prepare for extreme weather and water events, climate variability and climate change, and better equip cities to deal with severe storms and other hazards.

Message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for MeteoWorld

More photos