Why a global economic recovery from the Covid pandemic must tackle climate change

  • Date: 22-Dec-2020
  • Source: CNBC
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Middle East
  • Who else needs to know?

Why a global economic recovery from the Covid pandemic must tackle climate change

Employees of the company Goldbecksolar are testing a module in a solar park under construction in a former gravel opencast mine.Jens Buttner | picture alliance | Getty ImagesDuring the coronavirus pandemic, the worst public health crisis in a century, some people pointed to what appears to be a tiny silver lining for the planet: Global lockdown measures reduced climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions.Global greenhouse gas emissions plunged by roughly 7% from 2019 as a result of businesses closing and people traveling less by car and plane to mitigate the spread of the virus. The dip translates to a roughly 0.01 degree Celsius reduction of global warming by 2050 — a negligible impact, according to scientists.But as 2020 ends and an initial vaccine rollout triggers hope that the pandemic will soon end, scientists warn that emissions will rebound next year and continue to surge unless governments prioritize climate change in their Covid-19 economic recovery plans.Investing in a green recoveryIn response to the pandemic's economic damage, the world's biggest economies have already committed more than $12 trillion in restarting economies, according to the International Monetary Fund.It's an unprecedented global effort that scientists and researchers argue must incorporate climate-resilient projects like increasing green public transportation,