Greenhouse gas emissions down nearly a fifth because of virus measures: study

Measures taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have cut worldwide greenhousegas emissions by 17%, says newly published research.

The authors of the study warn the figure shows climate change goals can’t be met by individual actions on their own.

“Behaviour change on its own can only do so much,” said Corinne Le Quere of the University of East Anglia in England. “You really need to have structural change.”

Figures for emissions of greenhouse gases aren’t normally available until after emitters have reported them. In this case, researchers used a variety of proxies to estimate releases of carbon dioxide and other climate-change-causing gases as countries brought in stiff measures to restrict individual movement and activity.

Tech companies such as Apple provided data. The aviation industry offered flight information. Electric utilities gave figures on generation and consumption.

In all, the report published in the journal Nature on Tuesday includes estimates of greenhouse gas releases in 69 countries representing 85% of the world’s population and 97% of global CO2 emissions.

Some countries’ emissions fell much further than the average. At their lowest, France’s emissions fell 34% with the U.S. not far behind at 32%.

Great Britain fell 31%, Australia 28% and China 24%. Canada’s fell 20%.

“Canada as a whole did not reach the lockdown level that other countries did reach,” Le Quere said. “Canada has a lot of its emissions that come from power.”

Slightly more than half all reductions worldwide were attributed to fewer emissions from surface and air transport. Other major decreases came from a slowdown in power generation and industrial activity.

The reductions aren’t necessarily good news, said co-author Rob Jackson of Stanford University in California.

“We’re not celebrating a drop in missions because people are out of work. It’s an unsustainable way to address climate.”

And the reductions are unlikely to be permanent.

Greenhouse-gas emissions routinely fall during economic slowdowns and bounce right back afterward, as with the 2008 recession. China’s emissions have already almost returned to where they were before the pandemic.

What the study shows, Jackson said, are the limits of what can be achieved by individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented controls on personal mobility in many western countries and thrown tens of thousands out of work — and that still resulted in getting less than one-fifth of the way to carbon neutrality.

“Personal choice alone can’t do it,” he said. “Consumers don’t control the electric grid.”

Jackson and Le Quere said large emissions reductions will have to come from policy choices made by governments, such as providing infrastructure to allow a move away from gas-powered vehicles.