The World Daily
World carbon emission returning to 2019 levels

Photo by Chris LeBoutillier/Unsplash

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | NOVEMBER 4th 2021 

 

Since the beginning of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, there’s been a noticeable trend in declining carbon emission rates, thanks in large part to the decrease in worldwide travel and vehicle use. A new study found, however, that this trend in coming to an end.

Emissions of harmful substances were down to 34.8 billion metric tons last year during the pandemic, according to the Global Carbon Project.

According to the scientists who had studied the harmful emissions known to trap heat on the planet and perpetuate the crisis of climate change, the country most responsible for pollution levels nearly returning to their 2019 equivalent is China – who were among the quickest nations to recover from the pandemic.

“It’s not the pandemic that will make us turn the corner,” said study co-author Corinne LeQuere during an interview at the COP26 climate discussions in Glasgow. “It’s the decisions that are being taken this week and next week. That’s what’s going to make us turn the corner. The pandemic is not changing the nature of our economy.”

The study was presented at the COP26 climate summit, where deals and discussions are being made among various world leaders as to how the use of such harmful fuel sources as coal, oil and gas should be limited over the coming years. The meetings began on October 31 in Glasgow and are still continuing. 

 

“What the carbon emissions numbers show is that emissions (correcting for the drop and recovery from Covid-19) have basically flattened now. That’s the good news,” said Michael Mann, a Pennsylvania State University climate scientist who wasn’t involved in the report. “The bad news is that’s not enough. We need to start bringing (emissions) down.”

LeQuere had added that a large reason for China’s sudden jump in the emission of harmful emissions was due to their increase in burning of coal and natural gas – a key part of their pandemic recovery plan. Their quicker end of lockdown restrictions had also given them more time to stimulate their economy.

Many of the figures for the study are based on data from governments on power use, travel, industrial output and plenty of other related factors attributing to emissions. Though emissions this year aren’t expected to reach the level of 2019, they’re certainly projected to fall just short of the pre-pandemic figures. 

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2021 

Source: AP, Euronews