Carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas. It is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases they absorb heat and trap heat within the surface-troposphere system.
Related Theory
The various consequences of Global warming are:
(i) Warmer climate: Global warming on an average, has resulted in increase by approximately $0.6 \%$ in $20^{\text {th }}$ century.
(ii) Extinction of a large number of plant and animal species.
(iii) Decrease in Food production.
(iv) Rise in mean Sea-level.