Covid-19-and-climate-change

2020 was a good year for the climate. Widespread lockdowns resulted in a 17% drop in global carbon emissions by early April 2020. In the UK specifically, summer 2020 saw two months where no coal was burned to generate electricity; this is the first time this has happened since 1882. Coal is now only responsible for 2% of the UK’s electricity, and the country’s four surviving coal-burning power plants are set to be closed in the next few years. Tangible gains can be made on climate change, despite the apocalyptic outlook that often surrounds the issue, but it will require us to accept the hard truths data tell us.

Investment in renewable energy could help boost the global economy post-pandemic, stimulating global GDP gains of almost $100tn between now and 2050.

Cutting fossil fuels can go hand-in-hand with prosperity. The UK cut carbon emissions by 44% in a period where the economy grew by 2/3rds, and have decarbonised faster than any other wealthy nation. Equally, investment in renewable energy could help boost the global economy post-pandemic, stimulating global GDP gains of almost $100tn between now and 2050. In the UK, there’s still more work to do on renewable energy, and next on the country’s agenda is minimising our dependency on gas. Investment is being pumped into offshore wind, constructing floating turbines in areas where the seabed is too deep for a turbine to be embedded (and consequently where the wind is usually stronger). A budget of £68m has been dedicated to developing technology that will allow energy to be stored away for longer periods of time until consumers need it. 

The UK’s problem industries (when it comes to carbon) are heating and transport. Transport (measured using road transport, domestic aviation, railways and domestic shipping) is the UK’s largest source of carbon emissions, the majority of which comes from road transport. UK housing is overly reliant on gas boilers and water-heated radiators, with 85% of the UK’s 29m homes being heated with gas boilers (versus 47% in Germany). Equally, it’s difficult to persuade individuals to take the action to replace their gas boilers, especially because domestic renewable energy often means higher electricity bills. The story is similar with transport. It’s difficult to persuade people to trade their car in for an electric vehicle, and the UK has an undersupply of electric vehicle charging ports (which aren’t exactly easy to instal in winding and narrow streets).

The unpopular truth is that on a global level, the most effective way that individuals can adjust their lifestyle to help reduce carbon emissions is to have one fewer child.

However, the unpopular truth is that on a global level, the most effective way that individuals can adjust their lifestyle to help reduce carbon emissions is to have one fewer child. Research indicates that this change equals a reduction of 58 tonnes of CO2 for each year of a parent’s life; think about the impact of that as the global population edges towards the 7.9 billion mark. Carbon emissions must fall to 2 tonnes of CO2 per person by 2050 to avoid climate disaster, and yet in the United States each person currently generates 16 tonnes of carbon each year. Having one fewer child has been shown to be far more effective on a global basis than avoiding a transatlantic flight (which saves 1.6 tonnes of carbon a year per person) or eating a vegetarian diet (which saves 0.8 tonnes a year per person).

The pandemic has proven that habits, both on a society-wide and individual level, can be rapidly changed in the face of necessity. If we use the determination we’ve seen during the pandemic, and people’s willingness and ability to change their lifestyles, we can transform intention into action to help drive down carbon emissions.