The Covid-19 pandemic provoked a global economic slowdown that led to a slight reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, but this year’s drop “has had no measurable impact on” the ongoing buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
That’s according to a new report published Monday by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which advocated for responding to the climate emergency with bold action that includes a thorough reconfiguration of our economic, energy, and transportation systems.
While the coronavirus-driven restrictions on commerce have been a life-saving public health intervention, “the lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
Read more at Common Dreams.