There was a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when the world shut down in reaction to the COVID-19 health crisis. However, academics claim that until we abandon fossil fuels, this decline will do "nothing" to prevent climate change.
On Mar. 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, which is still the case today. Countries began imposing lockdown measures to limit movement and reduce physical contact in attempt to stop the virus from spreading. As a result, Earth-orbiting satellites observed a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
While this is encouraging news, it will not change the course of Earth's climate, according to a study led by the University of Leeds, which highlights the need for large-scale interventions to improve our planet's climate.
The study's research team discovered that even if lockdown measures were extended until the end of 2021, the reduction in global temperatures would be negligible - only 0.01 degrees Celsius lower than projected by 2030.
"The fall in emissions we experienced during COVID-19 is temporary and therefore it will do nothing to slow down climate change," said the University of East Anglia's Corinne Le Quere, co-author of the paper.
The team calculated how emissions levels of air pollutants and numerous greenhouse gases changed between February and June in over 100 countries to see how lockout measures impacted greenhouse emissions and climate in the long run. During those four months, they discovered considerable reductions in the production of pollutants, ranging from 10% to 30%.
However, it was promptly pointed out that the temporary reduction in emissions will have little impact on the state of the climate because lockdown measures will remain for a long time, as contrasted to major, long-term structural reforms.
According to the researchers' model, larger adjustments such as reducing global usage of fossil fuels would have a longer-lasting, positive influence on climate. Furthermore, the researchers stated that governments have a significant role in enacting such changes.
The research team discovered that if 1.2% of the GDP was spent on low-carbon technologies after the lockdown, emissions could be cut in half by 2030 compared to continuing to utilize fossil fuels after the lockdown.
"The government responses could be a turning point if they focus on a green recovery, helping to avoid severe impacts from climate change," Le Quere added.
The team's paper has been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
