Environment Minister Greg Hunt won't lead Australia's delegation to next week's UN climate summit in Warsaw.  Neither will Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.  In fact, for the first time since 1997, there will be no government minister at the main United Nations climate negotiations.  And this comes as concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit a record high last year.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said the findings “highlight yet again how heat-trapping gases from human activities have upset the natural balance of our atmosphere and are a major contribution to climate change.”

According to the WMO's annual greenhouse gas bulletin, CO2 concentrations hit 393.1 parts per million (ppm) in 2012.  The rise from the previous year was nearly 9 percent higher than the decade average.

To give an idea how out of proportion things are, consider this:  Before the industrial, the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide were around 278 ppm.  And many climate scientists say we need to reign in concentrations to about 350 ppm in order to avoid the worse impacts.

“Limiting climate change will require large and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.  We need to act now, otherwise we will jeopardize the future of our children, grandchildren and many future generations,” noted Jarraud.

Australia’s ambassador for climate change Justin Lee will represent Oz at the UN talks in Poland, which are expected to run through 22 November.