Emissions Bounce Back as Economies Reopen
As people around the world faced forced confinements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global greenhouse gas emissions fell as a result. A study led by climate scientist Corinne Le Quéré of the University of East Anglia published in the journal Nature estimated that emissions fell by 8% compared with 2019 levels. That drop brought emissions in line with their 2006 level. The researchers estimated that total 2020 emissions would fall by between 4 and 7% compared to last year. However, with communities reopening around the world, carbon emissions have begun to return, ticking back up to just 5% below 2019 levels.
At the height of lockdowns across the world, emissions from almost every industry fell drastically. Transportation over land, sea, and a...
