Topline
The hefty drops in greenhouse gas emissions spurred on by Covid-19 lockdowns around the world will have virtually no impact on the impending climate crisis, according to an annual report by the World Meteorological Organization, with the drop in emissions expected to only minimally slow the atmospheric build up of carbon dioxide.
Covid-19 driven drops in greenhouse gas emissions has not significantly slowed the amount of carbon … [+]
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Key Facts
In 2019, the concentration of carbon dioxide — the most abundant greenhouse gas — in the atmosphere passed levels not seen for millions of years, and has continued to rise throughout 2020.
While the overall rise of carbon dioxide will likely slow down as a result of the drop in emissions, this will be within the limit of natural variation seen each year, the organization explains, which can be caused by, for example, changes in carbon-storing vegetation.
“The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas, who called for a sustainable way of tackling rising concentrations of greenhouse gases.
Taalas said that while “the Covid-19 pandemic is not a solution for climate change… it does provide us with a platform for more sustained and ambitious climate action to reduce emissions to net zero through a complete transformation of our industrial, energy and transport systems.”
Key Background
Taalas says there haven’t been atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations like today for millions of years, “when the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now.” The Paris climate agreement — which President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from and said over the weekend was “designed to kill U.S. economy” — is intended to keep global warming to below 2C above pre-industrial levels, which already risks floods, drought and extreme weather. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to rejoin the pact shortly after taking office.
Crucial Quote
“Covid-19 hasn’t put climate change on hold,” said U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. “It’s getting worse and our window of opportunity is closing… while a vaccine may yet help us emerge from Covid-19, there is no vaccine for our global climate emergency.”
Further Reading
At G-20 Summit, Trump Says Paris Climate Accord Was ‘Designed To Kill U.S. Economy’ (Forbes)
White House Says Trump Has Saved Environment. His Record Says Otherwise. (Forbes)
