Emissions Are Surging Back as Countries and States Reopen - The New York Times

Emissions Are Surging Back as Countries and States Reopen - The New York Times

Emissions surge back to bad old days

In early April, the international response to the coronavirus pandemic slashed daily global carbon emissions from fossil fuels by roughly 17%. Now emissions are rebounding, with China almost back to pre-pandemic levels. The European Union is leading the way to a green recovery with a proposed US$826-billion recovery package aimed at expanding renewable-power generation, retrofitting old buildings and investing in cleaner fuels. Experts estimate that 2020’s global emissions will be down around 5% compared with last year’s — the biggest drop since the Second World War, but still not nearly enough.

The New York Times | 5 min read
Read more: How the coronavirus pandemic slashed carbon emissions — in five graphs (Nature, from May)Reference: Nature Climate Change paper & latest update to the supplementary data