POLLUTION RISE

Global carbon dioxide emissions are set to rise again in 2012 to new record highs, scientists have warned as United Nations talks on tackling climate change continue.

Emissions of the most significant greenhouse gas from burning fossil fuels are projected to have risen by 2.6 per cent on last year’s levels to a high of 35.6 billion tonnes, analysis from the Global Carbon Project shows.

This year’s carbon emissions will be 58 per cent above levels in 1990, research published in the journal Nature Climate Change reveals.

The latest rise means the gap between actual emissions and the levels of pollution the world can emit and still prevent temperatures rising by more than 2C above pre-industrial levels has widened further.