According to an annual study, global carbon emissions increased significantly in 2007, with developing countries like China and India now responsible for more than half of the world's carbon dioxide output. The report by the Global Carbon Project revealed that carbon dioxide emissions have been growing at a much faster rate since 2000 compared to the 1990s, despite efforts to reduce emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. The main cause of the increase in emissions is the burning of fossil fuels. India is on track to surpass Russia as the third-largest emitter of CO2 in the world. The executive director of the Global Carbon Project, Pep Canadell, noted that for the first time, developing countries are now contributing more to global emissions than developed nations. He informed Reuters that China has now become the top emitter, with China alone contributing to 60 percent of emission growth. The United States was the second largest emitter. The International Council for Science, representing all national academies of science, supports the project. Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide in Australia warned of "DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES" due to the rapid increase in emissions, suggesting that the world could warm faster than previously anticipated. He also stated that CO2 concentrations could reach 450 ppm by 2030 instead of the current prediction of 2040. Currently, the level of CO2 emissions is slightly above 380 ppm. However, reaching 450 ppm of CO2 will lead to a 2 degrees Celsius increase in global warming and the subsequent catastrophic consequences. The Global Carbon Project, established in 2001, studies changes in the earth's carbon cycle caused by human and natural emissions and how carbon is absorbed by sinks like oceans and forests. The project analyzes data from CO2 samples collected worldwide and national emissions data reported to the United Nations. Canadell notes the significant increase in emissions between 2000 and 2007, calling it unprecedented and occurring despite international efforts to combat climate change. Currently, only 37 wealthy nations are bound by the Kyoto Protocol, the primary global agreement aimed at addressing global warming, to reduce emissions starting in 2008. However, the initial phase of Kyoto will end in 2012 and does not require developing countries to limit their emissions. The United Nations is leading discussions to extend Kyoto beyond 2013 and develop a strategy that will involve all countries in committing to reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. A recent report has called attention to the rising levels of atmospheric CO2, which reached 383 parts per million in 2007, marking a 37 percent increase since the industrial revolution and the highest level in the past 650,000 years. The report also noted that the annual growth rate of atmospheric CO2 was 2.2 ppm in 2007, up from 1.8 ppm in 2006. Professor Matthew England, joint director of the University of New South Wales Climate Change Research Centre, described the recent data on increasing carbon dioxide emissions as a significant alert for industry, business, and politicians. Canadell expressed the belief that the credit crisis would likely reduce emissions growth, acknowledging the potential impact of the economic downturn. However, he noted that unless major countries like China, India, Russia, and Japan experience similar struggles as the United States, any decline in emissions would be minimal.