VIRUS CUTS EMISSIONS
Climate experts say coronavirus could help the global fight to reduce emissions.
Social distancing, self-isolation and working from home could become the new normal, and that’s seeing emissions drop worldwide.
Victoria University of Wellington climate scientist Professor James Renwick said the global response to coronavirus could set a precedent for how the world reduces its emissions in the future.
‘‘Some of the things we’re having to do are exactly what’s called for.’’
The immediate changes forced by the virus could give us an insight into a cleaner world.
Renwick said messages to fly less and live lighter have been around for some time – now people are being forced to change.
‘‘The way people are reacting could be seen as kind of a model for how we think of an early response to climate change.’’
This year was touted as the year of climate action before
Covid-19 hit – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported human-caused emissions need to almost halve by 2030 to prevent irreversible effects of climate change.
Auckland physics professor Shaun Hendy said the impact of
Covid-19 on emissions to date are uncertain, but could be huge.
Hendy said workplaces closing, factories shutting down and people working from home instead of making emission-heavy commutes could have a significant impact on emissions.
‘‘People are going to be getting used to remote work and a lot of us are going to be learning new skills,’’ Hendy said.
‘‘It’s a shame we need the coronavirus to teach us that, but it could be positive in the long term.’’
In China, fewer cars and factories running has seen a dramatic drop in air pollution and carbon emissions – in some places, air pollution was down a quarter to a third, and the sky is visibly clearer.
According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution alone kills 7 million people every year – by comparison, nearly 6000 have died from the coronavirus.
Air New Zealand has reduced flights across its network – cutting its long-haul capacity by 85 per cent.
It does not yet know how long flights will be affected, an Air New Zealand spokesman said.
Internationally, the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights to affected areas saw global air traffic decrease by 4.3 per cent in February.
Experts have indicated this drop in aviation emissions will only be meaningful if it leads to long-term behavioural change.
Cruise ships have been banned from New Zealand, meaning about a dozen cruise ships won’t be bringing their emissions with them this season.
Hendy said the now-likely recession would give emissions another hit.
‘‘Recessions do reduce our amount of emissions. If it’s a significant one, then we could see a significant shrinkage in our emissions.’’
However, he feared a recession could mean reduced investment in green technology to combat climate change.
‘‘It could be seen as just a ‘nice to have’ . . . we could see a decrease in that investment’’, Hendy said.
Greenpeace is calling on the Covid-19 budget, expected today, to futureproof New Zealand against climate change.
‘‘We might not want to hear about it now, but climate change hasn’t gone away. If we manage the stimulus package well, we have a unique opportunity to combat both threats with one stone.’’
The virus could mean more people getting in to their cars everyday rather than taking the bus or the train, Hendy said.
‘‘If we see people getting in their car rather than the train, then it’s going to have a negative impact on our emissions.’’
An AA spokesperson said these were ‘‘unprecedented times’’, and it was impossible to predict the impact on big city traffic.
‘‘There may be some people who feel less comfortable about using public transport and instead look to drive, but there may also be people working from home to balance that.
‘‘When the economy takes a downturn it generally results in less driving and freight on the roads as well.’’