Scientists report that the pandemic-related drop in carbon dioxide emissions has come to an end.

A group of scientists who track heat-trapping gases related to climate change said in a recent study that the first nine months of 2021 have returned emissions to somewhere below 2019 levels. The group estimates that 2021 will spew out 36.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide compared to 2019’s 36.7 billion metric tons. The sudden return to pre-pandemic numbers led the researchers to emphasize the United Nation’s COP26 climate summit decisions.

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