World Meteorological Report Marks Biggest Annual Jump in CO2 Levels NYT | Top Stories By: Raymond Zhong and Sachi Kitajima Mulkey 16 October 2025 at 22:29 Surging emissions from wildfires may have been behind the increase, which was the largest since modern measurements began more than half a century ago. © Bryan Anselm for The New York TimesA forest fire in New Jersey last year. Fire activity last year contributed to a record jump in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.