Green Energy in the Times of a Global Pandemic

In the turbulent and uncertain world of the COVID-19 pandemic, it sometimes feels like everything around us is changing. One unexpected change that has resulted from the worldwide crisis has been a shift in the field of green energy and the fight against climate change. Our new online reality has also resulted in positive environmental change that we can see in the world around us; air quality has improved in some major cities by up to 60% [1] , and carbon consumption has gone down by one billion tonnes [2]! Furthermore, global carbon emissions were projected to drop by 7% in 2020 compared to 2019 estimates. This has been the result of a decrease in traffic and travel, less power usage, and the economy coming to a screeching halt [3]. As optimistic as these results may seem, the outcome may be too good to be true: is the coronavirus slowing down climate change, or is the environmental improvement merely a short-term benefit that will soon give way to large negative consequences?

Original image can be found here.

The long-term effects of COVID-19 on green energy development and the environment may not be as crystal clear as the waters of the post-COVID Venice canals [4]. As seen in previous historic events such as the Great Depression, the improvement is unsustainable. Once borders start to open and businesses pick back up, the rates will most likely return to high carbon consumption, as we are already beginning to see through initial openings [3]. Despite the initial reduction in carbon consumption, China had rebounded back to their typical carbon consumption rates by mid-June [2]. As if consumption rates returning to pre-pandemic time wasn’t enough, some experts warn that the pandemic could lead to even more unsustainable outcomes. Researchers from Stanford University predict that many climate-friendly energy initiatives may be rolled back as businesses grapple with pandemic-related financial losses [5].

Even though the world around us seems to be slowly bouncing back in terms of our health and our surroundings, it seems that an environmental storm may be brewing under the surface of the 2020 pandemic. The short term benefits of decreased air pollution and carbon consumption may soon be overshadowed by a loss of long-term climate-friendly energy initiatives due to economic losses. Governments need to focus on subsidizing green energy companies if we want to see a sustainable change in carbon emissions. Otherwise, we may be facing another global crisis — the battle against climate change — much sooner than we think.

[1] H. Regan. “Air pollution falls by unprecedented levels in major global cities during coronavirus lockdowns”. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/world/air-pollution-reduction-cities-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html

[2] M. McGrath. “Climate change and coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash”. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52485712

[3] E. Barone, L. Tweeten, C. Wilson & T. Law. “The Coronavirus Pandemic Has Caused Carbon Emissions To Drop. But That Likely Won’t Last”. Time. https://time.com/5864374/coronavirus-carbon-emissions/

[4] M. Wray. “Coronavirus lockdown eases pollution, Venice canal runs clear”. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/6683226/climate-change-coronavirus/

[5] E. Newburger. “Air pollution falls as coronavirus slows travel, but scientists warn of longer-term threat to climate change progress”. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/21/air-pollution-falls-as-coronavirus-slows-travel-but-it-forms-a-new-threat.html