COVID-19 Lockdowns Will Have Negligible Effect on Climate Change

A new study finds reductions in greenhouse gases are insufficient to substantially slow warming, and the authors argue that to continue the benefits of reduced emissions, policymakers will need to adopt green economic recovery strategies.

amanda heidt
| 3 min read
climate change, greenhouse gas, emission, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, transportation, lockdown, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfer oxides, google, apple, data, mobility

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The current pandemic is an unprecedented opportunity to study how global climate responds to a massive drop in human activity. And so far, it appears that lockdowns are likely to have little effect on climate change unless future economic recovery plans include green policies, according to a study published Thursday (August 6) in Nature Climate Change.

While previous research this spring had noted a 17 percent decline in carbon dioxide emissions worldwide associated with reduced human activity during the pandemic, the current study includes nine other greenhouse gases and relies on anonymized movement data gleaned from Google and Apple phones to track the activity of 4 billion people. In April 2020, the authors found, global emissions fell 10 percent to 30 percent as the world sheltered in place and businesses operated at a reduced capacity. The researchers caution that despite these sizable declines, the overall effect ...

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Meet the Author

  • amanda heidt

    Amanda Heidt

    Amanda was an associate editor at The Scientist, where she oversaw the Scientist to Watch, Foundations, and Short Lit columns. When not editing, she produced original reporting for the magazine and website. Amanda has a master's in marine science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and a master's in science communication from UC Santa Cruz.
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