What is the primary greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change?

The primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change is carbon dioxide (CO2). This gas is released into the atmosphere through various human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels for energy, deforestation, and industrial processes. CO2 has a significant impact on global warming due to its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere, thereby enhancing the greenhouse effect. Its long atmospheric lifetime means that even though other gases may be more potent in the short term, CO2 contributes to the overall greenhouse gas concentration over extended periods.

While methane and nitrous oxide are also important greenhouse gases, their concentrations in the atmosphere are lower than that of carbon dioxide, and methane, despite being much more effective at trapping heat on a per molecule basis, is released in smaller quantities compared to CO2. Ozone, while a greenhouse gas, primarily plays a role in filtering UV radiation and its greenhouse effects are largely localized to the troposphere, rather than being the major contributing factor to climate change on a global scale like carbon dioxide.