Report: World Needs Equivalent Of Pandemic Lockdown Every Two Years To Meet Paris Carbon Emission Goals

Report: World Needs Equivalent Of Pandemic Lockdown Every Two Years To Meet Paris Carbon Emission Goals

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The dramatic drop in global carbon emissions seen during the early days of the pandemic and global shutdowns would need to be matched every two years for the rest of the decade in order to meet the goals outlined in the Paris climate agreement, according to a new study, though the authors don't recommend the world rely on "lockdowns" to help battle climate change.

A masked couple walk in the haze in Shanghai as pollutants drift in from inland, after the city ... [+] announced a yellow alert on air pollution in December.



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Published in Nature Climate Change, the report found that carbon emissions fell by about 2.6 billion metric tons in 2020 or roughly a 7% drop from the previous year, a historic decrease.





However, researchers said further drops in carbon output — 1 to 2 billion metric tons per year — are needed for global emissions to meet the safe worldwide temperature range defined by the Paris Agreement to dodge the effects of climate change.