Biggest carbon dioxide drop: Real-time data show COVID-19's massive
impact on global emissions

Date:
October 14, 2020
Source:
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Summary:
While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten
millions of lives around the world, the first half of 2020 saw an
unprecedented decline in carbon dioxide emissions -- larger than
during the financial crisis of 2008, the oil crisis of the 1979,
or even World War II.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten millions
of lives around the world, the first half of 2020 saw an unprecedented
decline in CO2 emissions - larger than during the financial crisis of
2008, the oil crisis of the 1979, or even World War II. An international
team of researchers has found that in the first six months of this year,
8.8 percent less carbon dioxide was emitted than in the same period
in 2019 - a total decrease of 1551 million tonnes. The groundbreaking
study not only offers a much more precise look at COVID-19's impact on
global energy consumption than previous analyses. It also suggests what fundamental steps could be taken to stabilize the global climate in the aftermath of the pandemic.


========================================================================== "What makes our study unique is the analysis of meticulously collected
near- real-time data" explains lead author Zhu Liu from the Department
of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University in Beijing. "By looking
at the daily figures compiled by the Carbon Monitor research initiative
we were able to get a much faster and more accurate overview, including timelines that show how emissions decreases have corresponded to lockdown measures in each country. In April, at the height of the first wave of
Corona infections, when most major countries shut down their public life
and parts of their economy, emissions even declined by 16.9 %. Overall,
the various outbreaks resulted in emission drops that we normally
see only on a short-term basis on holidays such as Christmas or the
Chinese Spring Festival." The study, published in the latest issue of
Nature Communications, shows which parts of the global economy were most impacted. "The greatest reduction of emissions was observed in the ground transportation sector," explains Daniel Kammen, professor and Chair of
the Energy and Resources Group and also professor in the Goldman School
of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. "Largely because of working from home restrictions, transport CO2 emissions decreased by 40 % worldwide. In contrast, the power and industry sectors contributed less
to the decline, with -22 % and -17 %, respectively, as did the aviation
and shipping sectors. Surprisingly, even the residential sector saw a
small emissions drop of 3 %: largely because of an abnormally warm winter
in the northern hemisphere, heating energy consumption decreased with
most people staying at home all day during lockdown periods." To paint
this comprehensive and multidimensional picture, the researchers based
their estimates on a wide array of data: precise, hourly datasets of electricity power production in 31 countries, daily vehicle traffic in
more than 400 cities worldwide, daily global passenger flights, monthly production data for industry in 62 countries as well as fuel consumption
data for building emissions in more than 200 countries.

The researchers also found strong rebound effects. With the exception of a continuing decrease of emissions stemming from the transportation sector,
by July 2020, as soon as lockdown measures were lifted, most economies
resumed their usual levels of emitting CO2. But even if they remained
at their historically low levels, this would have a rather minuscule
effect on the long- term CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

Thus, the authors stress that the only valid strategy to stabilize the
climate is a complete overhaul of the industry and commerce sector. "While
the CO2 drop is unprecedented, decreases of human activities cannot
be the answer," says Co- Author Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, founding
director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. "Instead
we need structural and transformational changes in our energy production
and consumption systems. Individual behavior is certainly important,
but what we really need to focus on is reducing the carbon intensity of
our global economy."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Potsdam_Institute_for_Climate_Impact_Research_(PIK).

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhu Liu, Philippe Ciais, Zhu Deng, Ruixue Lei, Steven J. Davis,
Sha Feng,
Bo Zheng, Duo Cui, Xinyu Dou, Biqing Zhu, Rui Guo, Piyu Ke, Taochun
Sun, Chenxi Lu, Pan He, Yuan Wang, Xu Yue, Yilong Wang, Yadong Lei,
Hao Zhou, Zhaonan Cai, Yuhui Wu, Runtao Guo, Tingxuan Han, Jinjun
Xue, Olivier Boucher, Eulalie Boucher, Fre'de'ric Chevallier,
Katsumasa Tanaka, Yimin Wei, Haiwang Zhong, Chongqing Kang, Ning
Zhang, Bin Chen, Fengming Xi, Miaomiao Liu, Franc,ois-Marie Bre'on,
Yonglong Lu, Qiang Zhang, Dabo Guan, Peng Gong, Daniel M. Kammen,
Kebin He, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber.

Near-real-time monitoring of global CO2 emissions reveals the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Communications, 2020; 11
(1) DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-020-18922-7 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014082806.htm

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