BEIJING - China's man-made carbon emissions rose 0.6 percent in 2024, a significantly slower pace than the previous year and below the global average growth rate, the country's meteorological authority said on Wednesday, indicating that efforts to meet the country's climate commitments are gaining momentum.

The data was released as part of the China Greenhouse Gas Bulletin (2024) by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The 0.6 percent domestic increase compares favorably to the global growth rate of 0.8 percent for the same period.

Zeng Qin, director of the CMA's science and technology department, said the data indicate that China's active implementation of carbon reduction pledges is achieving practical results.

According to the bulletin, the average concentration of carbon dioxide at the Waliguan Baseline Observatory in Northwest China's Qinghai province -- one of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch sites -- reached 424.9 parts per million (ppm) in 2024.

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This represented a year-on-year increase of 3.5 ppm, matching the global average rise.

Meanwhile, several regional atmospheric background stations, including those at Shangdianzi, Longfengshan and Shangri-La, recorded annual carbon dioxide concentration increases lower than the global average, the CMA reported.

The Chinese report comes shortly after the WMO's October global bulletin, which warned that concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases -- carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide -- continued to rise in 2024. The WMO noted a global average carbon dioxide concentration of 423.9 ppm, marking the largest annual increase since modern records began in 1957.

The record global surge is primarily attributed to continued fossil fuel emissions, the weakening of land and ocean carbon sinks due to extreme heat, and increased emissions from global wildfires.

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This marks the 14th consecutive year China has released its greenhouse gas monitoring data. The CMA said it has established a national observation network comprising one global baseline observatory, 18 regional stations, and over 120 observation sites.

Looking ahead, the administration pledged to further optimize its monitoring network and strengthen high-precision analysis to provide technological support for the country's response to climate change.