Global Pandemic , Causes Carbon Dioxide Emissions, to Drop 7% in 2020 .
Although 2020 was a devastating year for many, COVID-19
lockdowns actually benefited the environment. .
The Global Carbon Project released
a report revealing that carbon dioxide
emissions fell by 7% across the world. .
That’s the biggest yearly drop ever recorded. .
In the United States and Europe, emissions
dropped by 12 and 11 percent, respectively. .
Researchers believe the largest
share of the decrease is due to less
emissions from transportation.
In China, emissions only dropped by 1.7 percent,
likely because they had an earlier lockdown and
a less drastic second wave of infections. .
China also has more industrial-based
emissions, meaning its industry was less affected
than transportation by COVID-19 lockdowns. .
Unfortunately, global emissions still led
to an increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere,
as it still amounted to 37 billion tons produced. .
The atmospheric CO2 level, and
consequently the world’s climate,
will only stabilize when global CO2
emissions are near zero, Lead Researcher Pierre Friedlingstein,
University of Exeter, via ‘USA Today’.
In order to see lasting change, the
Global Carbon Project says “concerted
action” and “investment” is needed. .
We need concerted action that is planned,
that is good for health and good for the
environment but involves investment that
helps tackle climate change. , Corinne Le Quéré, University of
East Anglia, via ‘Scientific American’