The covid19 pandemic is a call to action on climate change

The COVID-19 global pandemic is pushing institutions and governments to their limits. People are worried about their health, their families, losing their jobs and the uncertainty the future holds. The economic fallout of this crisis is still uncertain too, and we may well wake up in a few months to a world completely transformed. This pandemic has come in the backdrop of another evident global crisis, a much slower one with even higher risks – climate change.

Our response to this health crisis will shape the climate crisis for decades to come. The efforts to revive economic activity — the stimulus plans, bailouts and back-to-work programs being developed now — will help determine the shape of our economies and our lives for the foreseeable future, and they will have effects on carbon emissions that reverberate across the planet for thousands of years.

But this global crisis is also an inflection point for that other global crisis, the slower one with even higher stakes, which remains the backdrop against which modernity now plays out. As the #UnitedNations’ secretary general recently noted, the threat from coronavirus is temporary whereas the threat from heat waves, floods and extreme storms resulting in the loss of human life will remain with us for years.

To stop climate change, we need to stop burning fossil fuels. The lockdown measures show how reducing road transport and electricity production can lower carbon dioxide emissions, and I am keenly interested in how these changes have impacted the atmosphere and how atmospheric measurements can help us understand emissions changes happening now and into the future.

However, it may be disappointing that this unprecedented economic disruption has been forecast to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by only 8%. To really address climate change, we need a major shift in our energy production to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. It is helpful to use less energy and, amidst the tragedy of the coronavirus, people (and animals) have also seen the benefits of reduced noise and air pollution during the lockdown. But we cannot address climate change without abandoning fossil fuel energy.

This crisis has also exposed much vulnerability that can be traced back to the unsustainable development that has ravaged the environment, and yet failed to eradicate poverty and hunger. Governments should take a moment to reflect, learn from past mistakes and redirect development towards a sustainable future. Medical professionals are putting their lives on the line to contain the virus; decision-makers owe it to them to rebuild the world in a way that makes it more resilient to similar situations in the future.

The priority now is to control the pandemic and save lives. As the interventions begin to have an effect and we start to emerge from this terrible crisis, it will be time to consider how new investments can help us build a cleaner, greener and fairer future.

This is a time for all of us to reflect upon the impact of our actions on the environment. While the solution to the pandemic requires all of us to sit back and ensure social distancing, the solution to climate change requires all of us to be proactive and take individual actions to reduce our carbon footprint.

With the pandemic looming over our heads, economic activity has also come to a standstill across the world. In the short-term, the response to the pandemic seems to have a positive impact on the emission levels across the world.

However, amidst the economic downturn around the world, the future of the battle against climate change seems grim. In efforts to recoup industrial activity to propel economic growth, there will be a lack of political will and availability of financial resources to continue the fight against climate change.

Finally, The Covid-19 pandemic has had an immediate impact on our home and work environments, but when it comes to THE environment, the picture is far less clear. I believe that the current situation may have a big influence on our approach to pollution, moving forward

The lessons learned once we will have this crisis behind us will be very important to (rethink) the problem of air pollution,Unfortunately climate change will still be around and will not really be changed by this crisis.

The ongoing #COVID-19 crisis, has seen how connected we all are and, importantly, how it is possible to work together and mobilise resources when needed. We have the opportunity now to work together as a global community to rebuild our economy and our lives to be more sustainable and resilient.

We must take the correct lessons from this pandemic. The act of staying home to prevent the spread of the virus is a reflection of social cohesion and community will. We must also use this community will to act as climate advocates and become more environmentally conscious.

All change begins with individual action, and each step, no matter how small, affects the entire planet. Lockdowns and distancing won’t save the world from warming. But amid this crisis, we have a chance to build a better future. #covid19pandemic #covid19response #climateresilience #climatechange #climatecrisis #climateactionnow #climatesolutions #SDGs #FightClimateChange #resilient #motherearth #environmentalsustainability